Kilmainham Gaol is one of the largest unoccupied prisons in Europe. It opened in 1796 as the new county gaol for Dublin. A prison for common criminals and a place of detention for convicts awaiting transportation to Australia, the building also reflected developing ideas in prison reform and architecture that emerged throughout the 19th Century.
During its 128-year history, the Gaol witnessed some of the most heroic and tragic events in Ireland’s emergence as a modern nation.
It is closely associated with the Irish struggle for independence, with a large number of leading revolutionary figures and political activists imprisoned within its walls.

The guided tour will visit the prison chapel, the original Georgian west wing of the Gaol and the Victorian east wing. It will conclude in the Stonebreakers Yard, where the leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising were executed.

This building is owned by the State through the Office of Public Works (OPW).

Location: Inchicore Road, Dublin, D08 RK28

Pre-Book Only

Accessible Toilets

The Gaol is a historic building, with some accessibility challenges, so wheelchair users or visitors who require special assistance should get in touch kilmainhamgaol@opw.ie in advance of their visit.