Kilmainham Gaol also called as Príosún Chill Mhaighneann in Irish, is located in the district Inchicore of Dublin. Formerly this place was a prison, which was later turned into a museum. The Irish Government Agency, Office of Public Works (O. P. W.) has been operating this museum since mid 1980s. This Kilmainham Gaol reflects the historical backdrop of Ireland as it is one of the most significant historical places of the country.
A large number of Irish leaders and rebellions were imprisoned in this prison, some been executed as well. Thomas Francis Meagher, Michael Dwyer, Anne Devlin, James Joseph O’Kelly, Patrick Pearse, Grace Gifford, Eamon de Valera, Willie Redmond, Robert Emmet and William Smith O’Brien are some of the most famous prisoners of Kilmainham Gaol. It has also been used as a set for quite a lot of films, namely The Italian Job, Boondock Saints, In the Name of the Father, The Face of Fu Manchu, and Michael Collins.
It was founded in the year 1796 and was named ‘New Gaol’. The principle reason for building this jail was to replace the old dungeon, located just few meters away from this Kilmainham Gaol. Officially it was referred to as the County of Dublin Gaol and was managed by the Grand Jury for County Dublin. Over 140 years this place served as a prison, holding some popular rebellions and campaigners who worked for the Irish independence.
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Handful of leaders who were associated with the 1916 Easter Rising was executed in this jail. Eamon de Valera was the last prisoner who was held here. In those days, children linked with petty theft were also put into the Kilmainham Gaol. There was no separate prison for men, women or children. Every prison consisted five captives and one candle for the required light. Due to unavailability of proper light and clothing the prisoners had to spend most of their time in darkness and cold.
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The government of Ireland abandoned the Kilmainham Gaol as a jail in 1924. After that period the entire building underwent renovations. Presently, Kilmainham Gaol houses a museum, exhibiting numerous pictures, artifacts, information and documents which belong to the Irish nationalism history. Sculptures, paintings, jewelries and so forth of the prisoners are displayed in the art gallery.
Visitors enjoy the entire experience of touring Kilmainham Gaol along with the audio video presentations and exhibitions. It is open for the masses from 9:30am to 6pm (April to September) and 9:30am to 5:30pm (October to March). For large groups the tour of Kilmainham Gaol should be pre-booked for avoiding inconvenience.
For information on traveling to Ireland, log on to europetravelhub.com.
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