Review of Kilmainham Gaol. Dublin's Historic Jail
Kilmainham Gaol Visitor Guide: Everything You Need to Know
Is Kilmainham Gaol Worth Visiting?
Absolutely. I'd even call it essential if you are interested in Irish history. I've been more than ten times and it's still bone chilling to stand in the Stonebreaker's Yard knowing that our independence came about due to the bravery of those who were killed here. Score: 9/10
What is Kilmainham Gaol?
Kilmainham Gaol is Ireland's most famous prison. It was built in 1787 and has been the jail for many of Ireland's freedom fighters before their execution at the hands of the British.
It's where Robert Emmet was held before being hung and beheaded in 1803 at a failed rebellion. In 1916, 16 of the Easter Rising leaders were executed within the walls of Kilmainham Jail. Their executions caused outrage and within 6 years, the Irish Free State was born, a huge step on our way to full independence.
The Irish Civil War followed and unfortunately more Irish people were executed in Kilmainham Gaol. This time by the guns of their former Irish comrades.
The Jail closed in 1924.
The Tour Experience
The Courtroom
At the entry to the jail, you wait in the old courtroom for your tour guide.
The Guide
Our guide was Mick, who had that typical dry Irish wit that kept the sad stories of Kilmainham's history just light hearted enough.
Mick started the tour with a welcome in Irish/Gaelic. From the accents I heard on the tour, about 20% of 35 people on the tour understood him.
The Jail's Catholic Church
In the church, Mick gave a 10 minute history of the jail with a slide presentation. It covered a lot of Irish history since 1800. It was fast paced, I'd suggest watching some Irish history videos on Youtube before you come to Ireland. It'll help you appreciate not just this site, but many others that you visit.
The church is the site of the saddest wedding in Ireland history. On May 3rd 1916, Joseph Plunkett married Grace Gifford just hours before his execution. The song "Grace" is the best known of all the Irish ballads. You'll hear it sung in pubs and even football matches. The chorus is
Oh Grace, just hold me in your arms and let this moment linger.
They'll take me out at dawn and I will die
With all my love I place this wedding ring upon your finger.
There won't be time to share our love for we must say goodbye
The 1796 Original Jail
The door from the church opens into the old jail corridor.
Prisoners had only four things in each cell: bed, blanket, bucket, and a Bible. The tiny cells held 4 people and they were locked in all day except for one hour in the yard. There was no dining hall, their food was brought to cells.
A lot of prisoners were sentenced to a few weeks for crimes like stealing meat. But some were there awaiting the new punishment of transportation, to be shipped off to distant Australia.
The walls are covered in graffiti, but most of it is by badly behaved tourists.
Death Row
The cells in the next block held the 1916 Leaders as they waited for their execution. Their names are on plates above the cells. This is where they wrote their last letters, while listening to firing squad killing their comrades. I've toured Kilmainham more than ten times and I never fail to get the chills in this cell block.
The Big Cell
From Death row to relative luxury. Charles Parnell was an Irish nationalist leader in the late 19th century. He was also a member of Parliament and agitated for Ireland to be able to rule itself. When his political actions got him imprisoned in Kilmainham, he was housed in a cell bigger than some modern Dublin apartments.
The Modern Jail
From here we went to the modern jail. This is more typical of what you'd think of for a jail. It's very photogenic. You may recognize it from "In The Name of The Father" movie or more randomly, Paddington 2. Yes, the bear from Peru was an inmate here too.
Remember Grace? She was imprisoned here during the Irish Civil War in 1923. I took this photo of a scene she painted through the keyhole of her cell.
The Stonebreaker's Yard
The last stop is the most tragic, the Stonebreaker's Yard where the 16 leaders of the Easter Rising were shot dead by English soldiers. One of the leaders, James Connolly was so badly injured that he was brought by ambulance to be shot but couldn't even make it across the yard to execution spot. So they shot him just inside the gate. You'll see a second cross where he was murdered.
You can appreciate why my blood boils after every visit.
But we were not without fault ourselves. During the Irish Civil War Irish men executed 81 other Irish men. Sad times when families fought with gun not social media. There is a plaque in the yard commemorating them.
Kilmainham Jail Museum
You exit via the museum where you can see some of the final letters written by the men among many other exhibits. It is a very well presented museum.
Practical Information
Tickets for Kilmainham Jail: Tickets are released at midnight Irish time 28 days in advance. I'm not kidding when I tell you that people set their alarms for this because they sell out instantly. You can only buy direct from the museum website. Anywhere else advertising tickets is a scam.
Tickets do pop up due to cancellations. I got my tickets 3 days before the tour. I just checked for today and I see 4 tickets available on the last tour of the day. So keep checking.
Getting There: It is just 3km from the City Centre. A short taxi ride. You can even walk it, but otherwise Google Maps will give the best bus times.
Duration: The guided tour of Kilmainham Jail took an hour. The museum takes 15-30 minutes.
Cafe: There is a cafe onsite if you get there early.
Hotel: The Hilton Dublin Kilmainham is directly across the road
Kilmainham: There's two pubs close to the museum. The Patriot Inn is directly across the road, but walk the extra 3 minutes to the The Royal Oak. This is a proper Dublin pub, not a Temple Bar novelty bar. They do a pint and a toastie for ten Euro. If you don't know what a toastie, then go and find out.
Make a day of it and visit the Irish Museum of Modern Art which is in front of the Gaol. Its gardens alone are worth the visit.
Similar Places to Visit
Wicklow Gaol: If you can't get tickets for Kilmainham Gaol, you could visit Wicklow Gaol instead. It is an hour outside of Dublin and is easy to get to by bus. Have lunch and walk around Wicklow Town for an off the beaten track day trip from Dublin.
Darragh
Kilmainham Gaol Photo Gallery
