St. Finbarr's Boys' National School Website

The Garda Station

On our way to the Docks we decided to call in to the local Garda Station, which was previously situated up the street in Coen’s Pharmacy. We met with inspector Walsh, who showed us the General Enquiries Office, the place where guns and ammunition were kept and the Doctor’s Room, where blood samples are taken from people who have been arrested for drunk en driving.
The most exciting part of our tour was our trip to the cells. There are two cells and we went into one. The window was made of glass block and the walls were very thick. There was a small bed with a concrete block base and a fireproof mattress. There was a special unbreakable light and a toilet flush with the floor. It reminded us of the Black Hole in Coen’s Pharmacy. Many people have been locked up here, e.g. John Gilligon, the Dublin Crime Lord who is supposed to have organised the murder of Veronica Guerin. He told us that there have been a lot of accidents in Bantry Bay and he remembered clearly the Bethelgeuse Tragedy, when fifty people were killed. Fair Day in Bantry used to be a very busy day for the Gardaí as the farmers were always involved in fights and many were arrested. Now however, this is not the case. Inspector Walsh was very surprised to hear from us that this Garda Station used to be poultry business with packing offices on the first floor and a skating rink and badminton hall on the top floor. He was fascinated and asked if we would give them a copy of the finished project. Finally we were shown plans of the new Garda Station which will soon be built, as this station does not have enough space. The new station has a very unusual design. In all it was a very interesting experience especially when we were locked up in the cell.