Kilmainham Gaol

Kilmainham Gaol opened in 1796 as the new county gaol for Dublin and it closed as a prison in 1924. During its 128-year history, the gaol was at the centre of many of the main historical events in 19th and early 20th century Ireland. It is closely associated with the Irish struggle for independence from British rule, reflected in the large number of leading revolutionary characters and political activists imprisoned within its walls. The prison’s stonebreaker’s yard offers a poignant reminder that this was the site of execution for the leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising.

Kilmainham Gaol is now one of 740 National Monuments managed and protected by the Office of Public Works. As part of the 2016 programme, to mark the centenary of the Easter Rising, the renovated Courthouse, located next to the gaol, opened as the Kilmainham Gaol Museum Visitor Centre. Today Kilmainham Gaol Museum and Courthouse welcomes visitors from all over the world, as it has done for the past 50 years, and remains an integral part of the local community in Dublin 8.

Address
Kilmainham Gaol, Museum Visitor Centre
Kilmainham Courthouse
Inchicore Road
Kilmainham
Dublin 8

+353 01-453-5984
kilmainhamgaol@opw.ie
www.kilmainhamgaolmuseum.ie

Opening hours
Kilmainham Gaol is open all year around, apart from the 24th, 25th and 26th December.

9am - 5.30pm (last admission) daily

Booking in advance is essential through Kilmainham Gaol's website.