Kilmainham Gaol Museum
BOOK TICKETS
Additional tickets for the day released online from 9:15am.
Group bookings (10 or more) are not permitted online. Please see further details below.
IMPORTANT NOTICE
Please note that no third-party organisations are authorised to sell tickets to Kilmainham Gaol. Tickets bought from other sites, including ticketing resale platforms, will not be valid and such ticket-holders will be refused entry. Furthermore, we are aware that there are fraudulent websites purporting to be www.kilmainhamgaolmuseum.ie . These websites and domain names look similar, but have no connection whatsoever to the Office of Public Works or Kilmainham Gaol. We urge extra vigilance, as any tickets purchased from fraudulent sites cannot be honoured.
This is the only legitimate website to purchase tickets for Kilmainham Gaol Museum.
BOOK TICKETS HERE
Welcome to Kilmainham Gaol Museum
For over 100 years Kilmainham Gaol held thousands of men, women and children for crimes that ranged from minor offences to being involved in some of the most momentous events in Irish history
A visit to Kilmainham Gaol will take you on a journey through Irish history. You will discover the stories of people held here as ordinary criminals alongside those who fought for Irish independence. From the 1798 rebellion, to the 1916 Easter Rising, the Anglo-Irish War (1919-21), to the devastation of the Irish Civil War (1922-23) all these important events have a chapter in the story of Kilmainham Gaol.
Visiting Kilmainham Gaol
Access to the Gaol is by guided tour only, and you must pre-book your ticket. A select number of tours/tickets are released 28 days in advance and can be booked from midnight (Irish time). If your preferred time or date is not available, check our website from 9.15am on the day you wish to visit for additional tickets and cancelations that may become available for the day.
You should allow approximately 90 minutes for your visit. Your tour will last for 1 hour, and you will also have access to our museum after the tour. Ticket holders for the final 2 tours of the day are permitted to visit the museum prior to their scheduled tour.
The Gaol is a historic building, with some accessibility challenges, so wheelchair users or visitors who require special assistance should get in touch on kilmainhamgaol@opw.ie in advance of booking your ticket and we can make appropriate arrangements for your visit.
If you would like to book a school visit, all the information you need is on our education page.
Group bookings of ten or more are subject to availability. You can email kilmainhamgaol@opw.ie to enquire further.
From Prison to National Monument
Kilmainham Gaol opened in 1796 as the new County Gaol for Dublin. While most of the prisoners were common criminals, it also held political prisoners involved in Ireland’s struggle for independence. Included amongst those held here were Robert Emmet, Anne Devlin, the Fenians, Charles Stewart Parnell, Countess Markievicz and the leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising, 14 of whom were executed by firing squad in the Stonebreaker’s yard. The Gaol was closed in 1924 but was preserved as a national monument in the 1960s and restored by the Kilmainham Gaol Restoration Committee. It was handed over to the State in 1986 and today is run by the Office of Public Works.
Temporary Exhibitions
With so many stories to tell at Kilmainham Gaol we regularly host temporary exhibitions. Our current exhibition is
Unsurrendered Spirits: The Prison Writings of Dorothy Macardle featuring Before Me In A Dream, a short film by Sharon McArdle
Plan a Visit
Opening hours, location, transport and more.
Book Tickets
Book tickets online now, to guarantee your place in our popular tours.
Collection
View highlights of the permanent collection.
Education
Information for teachers and students.
Full captions and copyright information for all images can be found in the Galleries. If you would like to use any of the images you see on this website, please contact us.
Any links to external content on this website are there for reference purposes, and do not imply endorsement.