A former barracks re-imagined for conflict resolution

The Glencree Barracks is located in a stunningly wild location in the Wicklow Mountains. It was built in 1806 as a direct response to both the Irish Rebellion of 1798 and the French Wars of 1793 – 1815. These events threatened the security of British national security who believed that the Wicklow Mountains held many United Irishmen who were sympathetic to the French. The place was soon after vacated when the Napoleonic Wars ended 10 years later. It was converted into a reformatory school in 1858 which operated until 1940. It was then used to hold German P.O.Ws until 1945 when The Irish Red Cross and the French Sisters of Charity cared for German and Polish war orphans here. In 1975 The ‘Glencree Centre for Peace and Reconciliation’ was opened to foster better relations between the two communities in Northern Ireland. It currently runs a broad range of programs aimed at bringing various actors from global conflict zones together.