McCan Barracks

McCan Barracks
Dún Mhic Cana
Templemore, County Tipperary
McCan Barracks
McCan Barracks Location within Ireland
Coordinates	52°47′30″N 7°50′32″W / 52.79158°N 7.84226°W / 52.79158; -7.84226Coordinates: 52°47′30″N 7°50′32″W / 52.79158°N 7.84226°W / 52.79158; -7.84226
Type	Barracks
Site information
Operator	Irish Army
Site history
Built	1815
Built for	War Office
In use	1815-1964

McCan Barracks (Irish: Dún Mhic Cana) is the site of two agents of the Irish state: the Garda Síochána College and the Defence Forces. It is located in Templemore, County Tipperary, Ireland. It is named after Pierce McCan who fought in the Irish War of Independence. It took on the role as the national centre for training the Garda Síochána - Ireland's police force - in 1964 when Garda Headquarters in the Phoenix Park ceased to perform that role. The barracks is home to a unit of the Irish Army Reserve and also houses a small detachment of the regular defence forces (Irish Army).

Prior to the achievement of independence, it was known as Richmond Barracks, after the area of the town in which it is located. The 17-acre site for Richmond Barracks was donated to the British crown by the local landlord - Sir John Craven Carden, 1st baronet Templemore about the year 1800. Its long story began when the British Government decided that yet another barracks was required in County Tipperary. They first decided on a site in Thurles beside the River Suir. However, as its site was adjacent to the local Convent of the Ursuline Nuns, the nuns successfully objected to a military barracks so near to their foundation. As a result, the War Office decided to build the post in Templemore instead. Its construction was started and completed in the first decade of 1800. Sir John Carden also gave a training and recreation ground of 40 acres adjoining. The barracks had two squares, surrounded by company lines, stores, married quarters, officers mess block, church, military prison and hospital. The site was surrounded by a high wall, with projecting fire positions at each corner. It had accommodation as follows: C/O’s house and garden, quarters for two field officers, 23 other officers, married quarters for 48 other ranks, and for 767 other unmarried personnel. It also had 36 hospital beds, 15 guard room cells, and stabling for 27 officers’ horses.