Built in 1796, this jail at one time housing over 9,000 inmates, men, women, and children. With only 110 or so cells available, overcrowding became an immediate problem. Kilmainham Gaol became the home for many Irish affected by the famine, as fathers, mothers and children alike who were arrested for stealing food or clothing became its prisoners and were sentenced to months or even years of hard labor.
The jail shut down in 1924, as another jail was built in Dublin. Kilmainham remained closed until the 1960s when a group organized in hopes of restoring the old jail. With six inches of dirt caked on the main room's floor and trees growing almost to the ceiling, it took nearly two decades for the restoration process to be completed, and when it was reopened to tourists, then Irish President Éamon de Valera, a former prisoner, entered and toured the jail where he previously spent several months of his life.
The jail has been made even more famous in recent years. It's been used in scenes for several films, including In the Name of the Father and The Italian Job. It's Victorian wing has great acoustics, and many artists have recorded songs there. U2 also shot its music video for "A Celebration" inside the jail.
It was pretty neat to get a chance to walk through the jail and yard, and to see where so many of those who fought to make this country what it is today were kept until they were executed. The museum was pretty interesting too- one exhibit featured several of the last letters the Rising leaders wrote to their families before they were killed.
No comments:
Post a Comment