Kilmainham Gaol

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Kilmainham Gaol (Príosún Chill Mhaighneann in Irish) was a prison in Dublin, used between 1796 and 1924. It is most famous for being the location where almost all Irish nationalist leaders were imprisoned before Independence, and for being the site of the execution of 14 of the leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising. It’s an important site in Irish history and can only be seen on a guided tour. Places on the tour are limited, so it’s recommended that visitors book in advance.

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4 tips for visiting the Kilmainham Gaol

Kilmainham Gaol East Wing | Flickr: Tony Hisgett CC BY 2.0

Buy tickets in advanceSince the Gaol can only be visited during a guided tour, and places on each tour are limited to 35, the number of tickets available daily is relatively small. Tickets can be booked up to 60 days in advance, so buy them as early as possible to ensure you can visit during your preferred time slot.

Kilmainham Gaol | Flickr: psyberartist CC BY 2.0

Ask questionsMake sure to ask your guide plenty of questions - they are experts in the history of the site and will be happy to answer any queries you might have about life in the Gaol, the history of crime and punishment in Ireland before and leading up to Independence, and the creation of the museum.

Be on timeArrive on time for your chosen time slot - tours begin promptly and there’s no guarantee that you’ll be able to join a later group if you miss your booked slot.

Download the tour in your preferred languageGuided tours are available in English and Irish. If you don’t speak either of these languages then a text guide is available to download from the museum’s website in Spanish, Italian, German, or French.

Kilmainham Gaol: An Historically Important Sight

Kilmainham Gaol | Pixabay

Tour of the Infamous Prison

The tour of the gaol takes you to the old wing of the Gaol, where you’ll see some of the cells as they originally were in the 18th century. You’ll also be taken to the chapel, where you’ll hear the tragic story of Joseph Plunkett and Grace Gifford, who married the night before his execution. The tour continues in the more modern section of the prison, which was built on the principles of Jeremy Bentham’s Panopticon - where guards could watch inmates without their knowledge.

Cells throughout the tour feature names of famous inmates who were incarcerated inside, so make sure to watch out for these and the colorful graffiti which decorates the doorframes. Take special care to find Grace Gifford’s (by then known as Grace Plunkett) cell, as she was an artist who painted a stunning mural on the wall of her cell. You’ll then be taken to the prison yard, where you’ll be shown the site of the 1916 executions by firing squad. As the tour ends, you’ll be led to the exhibition space, where you can explore at your own pace and learn more about the criminal justice system under British rule, see some of the artifacts that belonged to inmates, and learn about transportation.

There are also temporary exhibitions, which have covered themes as diverse as the journey of Nelson Mandela from prisoner to president, Mary Bourke Dowling, a member of the Irish suffragette movement, prison reform, and art created by prisoners currently in custody.

Kilmainham Gaol | Pixabay

History of Kilmainham Gaol

Kilmainham Gaol is a prison that was built in Dublin in 1786 and was in use from 1796 to 1924. It was connected to the courthouse, and originally prisoners sentenced to death were hanged directly outside the building’s entrance. Conditions were notoriously poor, especially during the Irish Famine, when overcrowding became a major problem as starving individuals turned to crime in order to feed themselves and their families.

Kilmainham Gaol was also used during this period as a temporary prison for men, women, and children who were later transported to Australia. It has a special place in the history of Irish Independence, as almost all leaders of nationalist movements (from Robert Emmet to Charles Stewart Parnell, the Pearse brothers, James Connolly, Constance Markievicz, and Éamon de Valera) were imprisoned there. 14 of the leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising were executed by firing squad in the prison yard in places that are today marked by memorials. It was then used to house prisoners during the Irish Civil War. Despite its importance as a monument, the prison was allowed to fall into disrepair after it closed in 1924. However, in the late 1950s, a volunteer movement sought to restore the prison and turn it into a museum.

The museum opened in 1966, in the year of the 50th anniversary of the Easter Rising, but the final areas of the prison were only completed in 1971 with the refurbishment of the chapel. In 1986, the Gaol was handed over to the Office of Public Works, which manages the museum today.

More About the Easter Rising

The events of the Easter Rising of 1916 took place in several key locations as well as on the streets of Dublin, many of which house exhibits to educate visitors about the fight for Irish Independence. One of the places to visit is the General Post Office (or GPO), which was the main stronghold of the Irish Volunteers and was occupied from Easter Monday until the Volunteers surrendered on the following Saturday. Today the GPO contains the GPO Witness History Museum, which offers interactive exhibits about the events of the Rising and other elements of Irish history.

Another important site is Dublin Castle, which was the British center of operations during the Rising, and was where some of the rebel leaders were held before being transferred and executed at Kilmainham Gaol. Today the castle is used for state events, but you can also take a tour with an expert guide. There are also walking tours and guided bus tours which will take you to several key locations throughout the city, including St. Stephen’s Green and Glasnevin Cemetery, where several of the Volunteers who were killed were buried.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does a visit to the museum take?

The guided part of the visit takes one hour, and then visitors are free to explore the exhibitions for as long as they like. Most visitors spend about an hour and a half in total at the site, but those with a special interest in the history of the building can easily stretch that to two hours. Read more.

Can I take photographs inside Kilmainham Gaol?

Photography for personal use is allowed, but please don’t bring professional photography equipment. If you’d like to take photographs for commercial or professional use then please contact the Kilmainham Gaol Museum ahead of your visit to discuss further. Read more.

Are the exhibits appropriate for children?

Due to the nature of the exhibits, a visit to the gaol isn’t recommended for children under the age of six. Strollers or children’s buggies aren’t allowed on the tour. The tone of the tour and museum is serious since the Gaol was a place of incarceration and execution, and parents should bear that in mind when deciding whether or not to bring their children. Older children will be able to appreciate seeing real jail cells and items that belonged to former inmates, but younger children and those of a particularly sensitive disposition might find the stories told on the tour distressing. While the museum exhibits aren’t tailored for children, the museum’s guides will be ready to engage and answer any questions from younger visitors during the tour. Read more.

General information

opening hours

From September until June, the Kilmainham Gaol Museum is open from 9.30 am to 5.15 pm. During July and August, the museum is open from 9.30 am to 5.30 pm, with exceptions on August 11th and 15th, when the museum closes at 5.15 pm. The museum is closed on December 24, 25, 26, and 27.

tickets

⚠️Currently, the following measures are taken against the coronavirus:

Ticket reservation is mandatory
Maintain a distance of 2 meters from other visitors

address

Kilmainham Gaol
Inchicore Road
Kilmainham
Dublin 8

tickets

For the remainder of 2021, admission to Kilmainham Gaol is free.

Tickets for the tour cost €8 for adults, €6 for visitors aged 60 or over, and €4 for students and children between the ages of 12 and 17. Children under the age of 12 can enter free of charge but still need to reserve a ticket for a timeslot. Family tickets are available for €20 and cover either two adults and two children or two adults and three children.

how to get there

Kilmainham Gaol Museum can be reached by taking Dublin bus numbers 69 or 79 from Aston Quay, numbers 13 or 40 from O’Connell Street or College Green. The closest Luas tram station is Suir Road on the red line. There isn’t parking at the museum, but parking is available at the Irish Museum of Modern Art/Royal Hospital Kilmainham, which is a 5-minute walk from the Gaol.

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