 Carrickfergus Castle's obsolete guns (6 x 64-pounders, 7 x 32-pounders and 1 x mortar, with an additional 6 x 24-pounders from 1859) were used for training, and the 64-pounders were fired on 27 May 1856 to salute the peace at the end of the Crimean War.A new headquarters was provided at the County Court House in Carrickfergus in September 1856, and in 1876 the War Department acquired land to erect permanent buildings for the militia at the castle.Clotworthy Skeffington, 11th Viscount Massereene, (1842–1905), the eldest son of the first commandant, was appointed Lt-Col on 20 November 1872, having served as Major since 5 August 1865.