Kilmainham Gaol opened in 1796 as the new County Gaol for Dublin. While most of the prisoners were common criminals, it also held political prisoners involved in Ireland’s struggle for independence ... discover the stories of people held there from the 1798 rebellion, to the 1916 Easter Rising, the Anglo-Irish War (1919-21), to the devastation of the Irish Civil War (1922-23) all these important events have a chapter in the story of Kilmainham Gaol.
The Gaol was closed in 1924 but was preserved as a national monument in the 1960s and restored by the Kilmainham Gaol Restoration Committee. It was handed over to the State in 1986 and today is run by the Office of Public Works.
The courthouse once used by the Grand Jury, with a Grand Jury room on the first floor, was built in 1820 and closed in 2008. It now forms an entrance to the Kilmainham Gaol complex.
What can be found at the venue?
Records or archive, Collection of artifacts, Historic building or site
Related crime and punishment profession / organisation
Prison, Courts / judiciary
Significant collections relating to regional crime and punishment organisation or to a particular individual
Included amongst those held here were Robert Emmet, Anne Devlin, the Fenians, Charles Stewart Parnell, Countess Markievicz and the leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising, 14 of whom were executed by firing squad in the Stonebreaker’s yard.
Since the first donation of an original copy of the Proclamation of the Irish Republic by Kathleen Clarke in 1963, Kilmainham Gaol Museum has collected approximately 10,000 objects to date. The collection consists of a wide variety of object types, ranging from manuscript material, photographs, newspapers, weaponry, artwork, medals, uniforms and personal effects. The main strength of the collection is material relating to the Irish Revolution, 1916-23.
The origins of the collection lie with Kilmainham Jail Restoration Society (KJRS), the volunteer body which administered Kilmainham Gaol as a heritage site and museum from 1960-1986. During this period KJRS collected objects relating to the nationalist and republican history of Ireland from 1798 onwards, which were displayed in the East Wing of the prison building. Significant acquisitions included material relating to Charles Stewart Parnell and Michael Collins, objects and documents belonging to the executed leaders of the 1916 Rising and a large collection of weaponry used mostly in the 1914-23 period.
Does the venue have an online collections catalogue?
Details of opening for public access and / or research services
Kilmainham Gaol Museum is open all year round, except the 24th- 27th December (inclusive); October – March 9:30 – 17:15; April – May 9:30 – 17:45; June, July & August 9:30 – 18:00; September 9:30 – 17:45
Access to the Gaol is by guided tour only, so to avoid disappointment we recommend that you pre-book your ticket. If your preferred time or date is not available, check our website each morning after 9.15am for cancelations that day. You should allow approximately 90 minutes for your visit. Your tour will last for 1 hour, and you will also have access to our museum. Group bookings of ten or more are subject to availability. You can email kilmainhamgaol@opw.ie to enquire further.
Accessibility and disability arrangements / Covid requirements
The Gaol is an historic building, with some accessibility challenges, so wheelchair users or visitors who require special assistance should get in touch on kilmainhamgaol@opw.ie in advance of booking your ticket and we can make appropriate arrangements for your visit.
Other connected heritage sites, museums or archives
Royal Hospital, Kilmainham; the Irish National War Memorial Gardens; Richmond Barracks.