Garda College Museum and Visitor Centre

Parts of this article (those related to Reformatting) need to be updated. The reason given is: No new info since 2020 - did it survive, close, move to just existing as a tour? (While at it, more collection details also welcome). Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (August 2023)

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Police museum in McCann Barracks, Templemore

Garda College Museum and Visitor Centre

Mhúsaem an Coláiste Garda Síochána agus Ionad Cuartaíochta

Location within Ireland

Established| 2002[1]
Dissolved| 2020
Location| McCann Barracks, Templemore
Coordinates| 52°47′25″N 7°50′25″W﻿ / ﻿52.790396°N 7.840345°W﻿ / 52.790396; -7.840345
Type| Police museum
Website| The Garda College Museum and Visitor Centre, Templemore

The Garda College Museum and Visitor Centre (Irish: Mhúsaem an Coláiste Garda Síochána agus Ionad Cuartaíochta) was a police museum located in the chapel of the Garda Síochána College at McCan Barracks, Templemore, County Tipperary, Ireland where members of the Garda Síochána (the Irish police service) are educated and trained.[2] The museum was popular with Transition Year school groups from the wider Munster area, as well as members of local Active Retirement Associations.[3]

## Background and operation

[edit]

On 20 January 1995, the Garda Síochána Historical Society was created based on a meeting held at the Garda Museum and Archives, with the aim of bringing the history and traditions of Irish policing into the public arena.[4][5] In 2002, Sergeant John Reynolds established the Garda College Museum and Visitor Centre in Templemore,[6][7] which operated independently until the opening of the main Garda Museum at Dublin Castle in 2017. From that point on, the College Museum and Visitor Centre worked in a cooperative capacity with the main Garda Museum in Dublin.[2][8]

## Collection

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The displays in the museum included historic police and military artefacts and memorabilia from Ireland and around the world.[2][5] Other displays included counterfeit currency as well as ATM 'skimming' devices.[2] A planned expansion to the museum in 2008 aimed to explore the military history of the Templemore complex from 1815 to 1921.[5] It is unclear if this was ever achieved.

## Reformatting

[edit]

In March 2020, as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the museum was temporarily closed to visitors[9] (as was the college swimming pool which the public had been previously allowed to use).[10] In May 2020, it was reported in the Tipperary Live newspaper that there were "fears for the future of the museum and the items of historical significance housed there", as it was reported that the museum space was being used for training.[9] The Irish Examiner revealed that the reason for this had been "social distancing requirements caused by the coronavirus outbreak (putting) greater demands on, and use of, the space available at the training college for recruits".[1] In May 2020, headed by Cathaoirleach Cllr Michael Smith, the council demanded a meeting be held with Garda officials recommending that lines of communication be reopened with Garda management.[9] Plans for incorporating a museum into the newly renovated Templemore Town Hall had been mooted as early as November 2018.[11]

On 25 May 2020, The Irish Examiner reported that almost 1,000 people had signed an online petition requesting the Irish Minister for Justice to 'save the Irish Garda Museum' located at Templemore.[1] The Garda Press Office noted that while artefacts in Templemore had been "the subject of changed (access) arrangements", this did not constitute a closure of the museum proper and that the public would be allowed to visit again once the restrictions imposed on visitors due to COVID-19 were lifted.[1] In July 2020, it was noted by Tipp FM that the collection of historic artefacts would not be lost or put into storage, but would instead "form part of a new walking tour for people to visit" within the college itself.[12]

## See also

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* Kickham Barracks, Clonmel, an 18th-century barracks which has been proposed as a possible site for a military museum in County Tipperary[13]

## References

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1. ^ a b c d Baker, Noel (25 May 2020). "Almost 1,000 sign petition over garda museum closure". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
2. ^ a b c d "The Garda College Museum and Visitor Centre, Templemore". garda.ie. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
3. ^ "The Garda Museum, the story of Irish policing". dublincitihotel.com. 28 February 2020. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
4. ^ "Garda Síochána Historical Society - Irish Police History". policehistory.com. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
5. ^ a b c "The Garda Gazette - THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE GARDA SÍOCHÁNA HISTORICAL SOCIETY (Winter 2008)" (PDF). policehistory.com. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
6. ^ "A brief history of the Garda College". templemore.ie. 10 September 2022. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
7. ^ "The Templemore miracles". historyireland.com. 22 February 2013. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
8. ^ Feehan, Conor (14 August 2017). "Garda museum to finally open after months of legal wrangling". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 8 June 2021. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
9. ^ a b c Dundon, Noel (20 May 2020). "Fears for the future of Garda College museum in Templemore". tipperarylive.ie. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
10. ^ O'Connor, Niall (4 November 2022). "'People are so upset': Protests at Garda college after locals locked out of pool after 40 years". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
11. ^ (staff writer) (29 November 2018). "Future plans for Templemore Town Hall revealed". tipperarylive.ie. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
12. ^ Vaughan, MaryAnn (28 July 2020). "Future of Garda museum secured for Templemore". Tipp FM. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
13. ^ Wynne, Eamonn (8 August 2020). "Call for military museum at former army barracks in Tipperary". tipperarylive.ie. Retrieved 13 July 2023.

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Museums and galleries in the Republic of Ireland by province

Connacht|

* 126 Artist-run Gallery
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Munster|

* Allihies Copper Mine Museum
* Clare Museum
* Cobh Heritage Centre
* Cobh Museum
* Cork Butter Museum
* Cork Public Museum
* Craggaunowen
* Crawford Art Gallery
* Garda College Museum and Visitor Centre
* Hunt Museum
* Jameson Experience, Midleton
* Kerry County Museum
* Lewis Glucksman Gallery
* Limerick City Museum
* Ormston House
* The People's Museum of Limerick
* Tipperary Museum of Hidden History
* Waterford County Museum
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Leinster|

| Dublin|

* 14 Henrietta Street
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* Number Twenty Nine: Georgian House Museum
* Olivier Cornet Gallery
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* Arklow Maritime Museum
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* Wicklow Gaol

Ulster|

* Cavan County Museum
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Garda Síochána

Organised &
Serious Crime|

* National Bureau of Criminal Investigation
* Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau
* National Economic Crime Bureau
* National Cyber Crime Bureau
* National Immigration Bureau
* National Protective Services Bureau
* Technical Bureau
* Operational Support (Air Support Unit, Water Unit, Dog Unit, Mounted Unit)
* Criminal Assets Bureau

Security and
Intelligence|

* National Surveillance Unit
* Special Detective Unit
* Counter-Terrorism International
* Witness Security Programme

Traffic|

* National Roads Policing Bureau
* Vehicles

Other units / structure|

* Garda Síochána College
* Emergency Response Unit
* Armed Support Units
* Public Order Units
* List of districts
* Garda Síochána Reserve
* Garda Band

Scandals|

* Irish Phone Tapping Scandal (1982)
* "Rape Tape" Scandal (2011)
* Penalty Points Scandal (2012)
* Phone recordings scandal (2014)
* Whistleblower scandal (2014)
* GSOC bugging scandal (2014)

Other|

* Garda Commissioner
* PULSE
* Gardaí killed in the line of duty
* Scott Medal
* Garda Museum
* Garda College Museum and Visitor Centre
* Garda ar Lár
* James "Lugs" Branigan
* Death of Terence Wheelock (2005)
* Death of George Nkencho

Oversight|

* Policing Authority
* Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission
* Garda Síochána Inspectorate

Associated bodies|

* Garda Representative Association
* Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors
* Garda GAA

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