Kilmainham Jail
Of all the things I did while in Dublin, visiting the Kilmainham Jail was probably the most interesting and the most moving. It's located just across the street from our Airbnb and I was very disappointed when the website said that visitors must be on a tour and that the tours were sold out through the end of September. I was walking past it and thought, "Oh, why not?" I walked to the entrance, asked about entry, and was escorted to the desk where I was told that there was one ticket available for the 2:00 tour, which started in 10 minutes. Hurrah! Visitors wait in the old courthouse for their guide to arrive and are then ushered out into the courtyard,
down a stone corridor,
and into the chapel.
When Kilmainham was first established, the aim was to follow three guides: silence, separation and religion. Prisoners were meant to be in single cells, forced to be silent, and forced to attend church services. It was thought that this would make prisoners spend their time contemplating the error of their ways, repent, and reform. The guards were supposed to follow a similar strict discipline so that there would be no bribery or cruelty in the gaol. Yeah, that didn't exactly go to plan. The guards could be bribed, they treated the prisoners as they wanted, and overcrowding meant the one prisoner to a cell scheme wasn't possible.
Our guide, Alan, told us that the jail was built in 1796 to replace the previous jail (gaol) which was nothing more than a filthy dungeon. Men, women, and children were incarcerated up to 5 in each cell, with only a single candle for light and heat. Most of their time was spent in the cold and the dark, and each candle had to last for two weeks. Each cell was about 28 square feet, just a bit smaller than a standard pool table. When they ran out of room in the cells, prisoners had to sleep on the floor of the corridors.
That didn't apply to all prisoners, however. The Irish Nationalist leader Charles Stewart Parnell was imprisoned under the coercion act by the British government because he opposed the Land Act and led the Land War. Because he was of the upper class, he had a spacious cell with a fireplace and electric light, was allowed to bring his furniture, including a comfortable brass bed, from home. His food was prepared by his servants in the prison governor’s kitchen.
Parnell was also allowed to meet with other members of the Irish Nationalists who were imprisoned at Kilmainham.
For a while the overcrowding lessened, but during the Great Famine, laws were passed that made crimes of vagrancy and begging and the overcrowding resumed. That was a heartbreaking time. With no food and nowhere to live, thousands of Irish were thrown into jail. Ironically, this was probably helpful for some because jails were required to provide two meals a day for prisoners. On the other hand, the conditions were so bad as to cause death due to the disease-ridden conditions. In the museum part of the jail, there's a video display that shows the records of some of the prisoners and their crimes.
Of all the stories I heard, the most heartbreaking was that of a person who was brought to Kilmainham accused of begging in the street. He was listed as having no parents or home and was sentenced to serve time in gaol. He was three years old.
Alan then brought us into the most recognizable part of the prison, the East Wing. It has been used as a set in countless movies.
This was the Victorians' answer to prison reform. Conditions in the East Wing were far better with, generally, only one person per cell. This part of the prison is also famous as the place where Irish political prisoners were kept. The left cell in the photo below is notable. It was the cell of Eamon de Valera, later President of the Republic of Ireland.
Irish history is complex, and I'm still wrapping my head around all its complexity. There were at many attempts at breaking from the English rule, most of which failed.
The Rebellion of 1798 aimed to end British rule and found an independent republic.
Robert Emmett's rebellion in 1803 intended to seize control of the seat of government, but quickly collapsed and ended with Emmet's execution.
The Young Ireland Rebellion in 1848, fought during the Great Famine, failed but inspired later actions.
The Fenian Uprising of 1867 organized by the Irish Republican Brotherhood was a poorly coordinated series of guerrilla skirmishes across various counties swiftly put down by authorities.
The Easter Rising of 1916 was an armed insurrection launched in Dublin during Easter Week by republicans aiming to establish an independent Irish Republic. Although militarily unsuccessful, the execution of its leaders transformed public opinion and surged popular support for independence.
The War of Independence (1919-1921) Following the 1918 election and the formation of Dáil Éireann, the Irish Republican Army (IRA) engaged in a sustained guerrilla campaign against British forces, leading to the Anglo-Irish Treaty and the creation of the Irish Free State.
This didn't end the violence, however, because different factions disagreed on the terms of the Anglo-Irish Treaty leading to the Irish Civil war which lasted 11 months. Pro-treaty forces led by figures like Michael Collins and Arthur Griffith, supported the treaty that created the self-governing Irish Free State within the British Empire. They believed it gave Ireland the "freedom to achieve" ultimate independence. The Anti-Treaty Forces (Republicans) led by Éamon de Valera and military leaders like Liam Lynch opposed the agreement. They rejected the required oath of allegiance to the British monarch and felt the treaty betrayed the declared Irish Republic. One of anti-treaty members murdered Michael Collins. So much violence, so much war. And that doesn't even include the troubles of the 20th century.
One aspect of the Irish uprisings and the Irish constitution that I admired was that of the inclusion of women in the cause. (The Irish constitution specifically calls out the right of men and women.) Indeed, one of the leaders of the uprisings was Marchessa Constance Markievicz. During the Easter Rising, the leaders were imprisoned, including Markievicz, but only the men were executed. Her sentence was commuted, leading her to retort, “I wish you lot had the decency to shoot me.” The British deemed that a bridge too far and one which was likely to inspire further hatred for the British. They needn't have worried. There was plenty of hatred already and it fomented when James Connelly, wounded and dying in the hospital, was brought before the firing squad, tied to a chair to keep him from slouching, and executed by firing squad. That outraged the public and cemented the support for the Republicans.
This cross marks the spot where most of the men were executed against the wall of the gaol.
The wall opposite is where James Connolly was tied to the chair and executed.
This plaque commemorates the leaders of the rebellion who were executed in 1916.
There are plans for another plaque to commemorate all the people executed at Kilmainham who participated in the fight for independence.
We filed out of the prison and were led into the museum. In it are so many images that bring home the heartbreaking reality of life in Dublin and in Kilmainham.
There were two exhibits that were just heartrending. One was "Last Words" which displayed the letters written by men the night before their executions, most of them were
addressed to their mothers.
This one I found particularly heartbreaking because he says, "Dear Mother do not worry over me for I am proud to die for Ireland."
Also on display were some of their possessions and photographs.
Another exhibit looked at the role photography played at the prison. Prisoners would have cameras, film, and developing supplies smuggled in so the men in the prison were memorialized in this way.
A separate exhibit showed reproductions of pages in a prisoner's autograph book, complete with photos taken inside the prison.
The top floor of the museum is dedicated to the prison's restoration efforts. After the release of the prisoners in 1924, the building fell into disrepair. There was talk of demolishing it, but a group of volunteers raised funds, enlisted volunteer workers, and rebuilt it. It is seen as a sacred memorial to the lives of those who fought for Irish independence.
If you travel to Dublin, this is an unmissable site.
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