Sir Richard Sankey, Soldier and Engineer, Is Born in Cashel, Co. Tipperary

Lieutenant-General Sir Richard Hieram Sankey KCB (22 March 1829 – 11 November 1908) was an officer in the Royal (Madras) Engineers in the East India Company’s army in British India, later transferring to the British Army after the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and the assumption of Crown rule in India.

Sankey Tank which he constructed to meet the water demands of Bangalore is named after him.

The high court building in Bangalore, Attara Kacheri, was designed by him and built by Arcot Narrainswamy Mudaliar.

Richard Sankey was born in 1829 at Rockwell Castle, County Tipperary, Ireland on 22 March 1829.

He was the fourth son of Eleanor and Matthew Sankey. Eleanor was herself from a family of military men, her father being Colonel Henry O’Hara, J.P of O’Hara Broom, County Antrim. Matthew Sankey was a barrister at Bawnmore, County Cork and Modeshil, County Tipperary.

Richard Sankey did his schooling at Rev. Flynn’s School on Harcourt Street in Dublin and entered the East India Company’s military seminary at Addiscombe in 1845. At Addiscombe he was awarded for his excellence at painting.