The John McGahern Barracks Museum is operated by a local voluntary group. In 2019 the building was completely renovated for €208,000. Roscommon Leader Partnership gave funding of 75% of that cost, local fundraising contributed €30,000 and a loan was taken out by the local group to pay the balance. With loan repayments and monthly operational costs, the group has to generate just over €1,100 monthly to remain open. This is a heavy burden for such a small group and to keep this wonderful project of both national and international importance alive, we need to raise €10,000 urgently to pay down the loan and make the monthly costs more manageable. The museum tells the story of policing in the middle of the last century, displays a social history of life in a small rural community and commemorates the work of one of Ireland's greatest writers, the late John McGahern, who lived in the building with his siblings, along with their father who was Garda Sergeant in the Barracks before retiring in 1955. A permanent exhibition of photography from internationally acclaimed documentary photographer Martin Parr is also on display in the Barracks.
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