This morning my sister and I started our day, as usual, with a cup of coffee. Of course I had to go to Costa Coffee to enjoy my latest obsession of the Coffee Cooler and a chocolate muffin. We drank our coffee and read.
We then headed down to the Quays to pick up the bus to go to Kilmainham Gaol. I was told that from the bus you would be able to see the jail and you get off after you see it. But of course that did not happen.
We were on the bus for a good while, when I heard a couple ask the driver where the jail was. The driver said something and at the next stop the couple got off.
I didn't fully hear the conversation, but I needed to know where this jail was. I then asked the driver and he said that the last stop was for it. He let us off at the next stop and told me how to back track. It wasn't far at all. Funny thing was that we got to the jail before the couple. Fail.
Kilmainham Gaol is a 20 minute bus ride from the city center of Dublin. It is located off of a main street and is situated on what looks like a nice residential street.
You can only see the jail with a tour, so Catherine and I signed up for our tour. We had around 30 minutes to kill until it was our turn. Off the main entrance of the jail is a museum and Catherine and I looked around to learn about the jail before our tour.
Kilmainham Gaol was built in 1796. It was known as a "new gaol" because in older jails, most prisoners were kept in the same room and this caused a lot of chaos. Kilmainham Gaol looks like a modern prison, in that they are individual cells for prisoners and small windows, to improve light and the prisoner's health. There was no segregation of the prisoners; men, women and children were all together.
The prison was decommissioned in 1924, but since then it has held a very significant place in the hearts of the Irish. It has a profound connection with the Irish struggle for independence because the jail held some of the Irish leaders. Some of the most notable were Charles Parnell, the Pearse brothers, Countes Markievicz, Joseph Plunkett and Edward Daly, among others.
Catherine and I took the tour that brought us into the actual jail. It was amazing to see the place that held such famous people in Irish history. The tour was a little under 2 hours and our guide was very entertaining and knowledgeable. At times the tour was annoying in that we had a large group and some of the places were not very big in order to accommodate the group.
After our tour, Catherine and I explored the upstairs of the museum. Whereas the bottom section of the museum that we explored early dealt with the history of the jail, this section dealt with the 1916 Rising and the Irish Civil War. They had so many letters and other artifacts from the era that it was fascinating!
I would highly recommend that people visiting Dublin make a point to visit Kilmainham Gaol, especially if you are a history buff. Visit http://www.heritageireland.ie/en/dublin/kilmainhamgaol to learn more about the place and about the tour.
After our tour, Catherine and I headed back to city center where we hung out and got something to eat.
In the evening I took her to The Comedy Crunch to show her the place that I spent every Sunday and Monday. The best part of the whole thing was that David, our tour guide from the other day, was one of the comedians! Catherine and I freaked out when we saw him take the stage! It was a great treat and great way to end the day :)
Tomorrow I will post the pictures! :)
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