The Old Barracks Heritage Centre, Cahersiveen. ...

The Old Barracks is now the Heritage Centre of Cahersiveen. Standing by the side of the river Fertha and the old railway line it has a commanding position in the area.

It was built to protect the British end of the transatlantic telegraph cable. In 1867, one year after the completion of the telegraph cable there was an ill fated attempt to capture and destroy the telegraph station after transmitting to the world that Ireland was free.

After the completion of the building it was a barracks, or police station for the Royal Irish Constabulary until the civil war when it was burnt down by the women folk of Cahersiveen.

Because of the peculiar design of the building a rumour was started on the completion of the building that the plans had been mixed up in London at the Ministry of Works. The building that is now the Old Barracks should have been built in the Punjab in India.

 

You can visit The Old Barracks Heritage Centre, Cahersiveen. 's webpage at The Old Barracks Heritage Centre, Cahersiveen.
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Throughout modern history Cahersiveen has always had emigration as the young cannot find work, whether it is to Dublin or abroad. Some elders of the town applied for grants and built the Old Barracks as a Heritage Centre, to keep a few in the town building and furnishing the establishment and then to keep a few more in the town from the increased trade.

The building is now the Heritage Centre of the town and surrounding area. Besides having history of thearea, how history has effected the town it also has information on the colourful wildlife and flora of the district.

For a small area the town has more than its share of heroes. Daniel O'Connell, arguably the most influential Irish politician was born in Cahersiveen in 1775 and although Hugh O'Flaherty was not born in Cahersiveen, much of his early life was spent in the town and he is buried in the churchyard. Hugh O'Flaherty rose to be a Monsignor in the Catholic religion and in the Second World War he helped many Allied airmen escape prisoner of war camps and many Jews to escape going to the death camps.

The heritage centre is a real gem; the one building where the past comes to life in Cahersiveen. If ever in the region it is well worth a visit.