Kilmainham Gaol and Old Kilmainham Hospital

September 12th, 2008....

Kilmainham Gaol

Kilmainham Gaol was a jail that was run by the British until it was abandoned in 1924. It imprisoned and executed many of the Irish rebels, including 14 of the 16 leaders responsible for the Easter Rising. And if it looks familiar, it was also the scene for many famous movies. The jail wasn’t like a normal jail. The Kilmainham guy that was incharge of it wanted it to be a reform prison. He wanted the prisioners to be changed and set back into the world. But his ideas were crazy. He believed in silence, seculsion, and supervision. Prisoners never saw others except for when they did hard labour outside and were not aloud to talk unless talked to by a guard or official. They were given very little food. The long silences were supposed to be so they could spend the time thinking about there crime and realize their wrongs and repent. The prison held men, women, and many children. During British rule, Ireland was a country in great poverty, this made people commit small crimes just to stay alive. Children would be imprissoned for months at a time for stealing a loaf of bread or a potato. It was a rough place. During the potato famine in Ireland though, many people would try to get caught cause they had a better chance of survival in a prison with rationed meals then with no food in the free world.

entrance

Michelle and I outside

jail

Me inside

Beware of the risen people that have harried and held, ye that have bullied and bribed. That’s what is written in the first picture. It was part of a song they sang during the revolution.

Newer part of jail; much nicer than the rest

Staircase made for prisoners. It was narrow and twisted so no one could escape quickly.

The last picture is a picture of the labour area and the stonebreaking area. This is also where executions were performed. This is the only part of the prison that doesn’t have windows. There is an irish flag in the part where the 14 leaders of the rebellion were shot and killed, the event leading to ireland’s independence.

Entrance to Old Kilmainham Hospital

Kilmainham Hopsital

Me inside