Kilmainham Gaol Museum
Kilmainham Gaol opened in 1796 as the new County Gaol for Dublin. It closed its doors in 1924.
Today the building symbolises the tradition of militant and constitutional nationalism from the rebellion of 1798 to the Irish Civil War of 1922-23. Leaders of the rebellions of 1798, 1803, 1848,1867 and 1916 were detained and in some cases executed here. Many members of the Irish Republican movement during the Anglo-Irish War (1919-21) were also detained in Kilmainham Gaol, guarded by British troops. Names such as Henry Joy McCracken, Robert Emmet, Anne Devlin, Charles Stewart Parnell and the leaders of 1916 will always be associated with the building. It should not be forgotten however that, as a county gaol, Kilmainham held thousands of ordinary men, women and children. Their crimes ranged from petty offences such as stealing food to more serious crimes such as murder or rape. Convicts from many parts of Ireland were held here for long periods waiting to be transported to Australia. Kilmainham Gaol Museum is operated and managed by the Office of Public Works.
Temporary Exhibition
‘Recycle, Re-purpose, Re-imagine: Transforming Objects in Kilmainham Gaol’
Further information can be found on our Exhibitions page.
Guided Tours
Entrance to Kilmainham Gaol is by guided tour only and is managed through timed tickets. Advance booking online is essential to guarantee entry. Tickets can be booked 60 days in advance.
Cancellation tickets for the day will be released online every morning between 9:15am-9:30am. Please note that the online system is for use by individuals and not for group bookings. Please refer to our terms and conditions. Further information on tours, tickets and facilities can be found on Plan a Visit & Frequently Asked Questions.
Educational School Visits
Kilmainham Gaol Museum offers free educational visits for primary and secondary schools. Please read our Schools Information Page before requesting a visit.
Please note that we have allocated all educational visits for 2019/2020 academic year. We will be accepting requests for 2020/2021 academic year from June 2020.
Group Bookings
Kilmainham Gaol Museum welcomes requests for group bookings (10 or more people). All requests should be made by email to kilmainhamgaol@opw.ie
Please note that due to the high demand for group bookings, we are unable to accommodate all requests. Groups should not purchase tickets using the online booking system, as this is for use by individuals and independent visitors only. Please refer to our terms and conditions.
We have now allocated all group bookings to the end of June 2020.
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.