- There is also a small town named Crossmaglen in New South Wales, Australia, near to the city of Coffs Harbour.
Crossmaglen (Crois Mhic Lionnáin in Irish) is a town in County Armagh, Northern Ireland, near the border with the Republic of Ireland. It has long been a predominantly Catholic and republican town, and is the site of large British Army and Royal Ulster Constabulary installations.
However, the Army remains an unwanted force, a prime target for those republicans unwilling to countenance a British presence in the Six Counties. Since the start of The Troubles in 1969, at least 58 police officers and 124 soldiers were killed by the Provisional IRA in South Armagh . It was here that a team of snipers killed 12 members of the security forces in the 1990s and where the explosives were mixed for the Docklands, Manchester and Bishopsgate bombs.
British Army troops arriving at the heavily-fortified Army base at Crossmaglen -- or 'XMG' as it is called by troops -- are welcomed by the words "DON'T WORRY, BE HAPPY, WELCOME TO XMG." painted in white, on a brick wall. For British Army personnel, Crossmaglen, known among the troops as "XMG" is one of the most dangerous assignments available.
In the bases of Bessbrook Mill, Crossmaglen and Forkhill, tension and frustration are high. Under the rules of "normalisation", soldiers are not allowed wear helmets, body armour, or face camouflage. They are forbidden to aim their weapons at potential targets, unless returning fire. Their mission is ostensibly only to provide support for the police.
- See also: List of towns in Northern Ireland
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