Upon John's recommendation, we went to tour the Kilmainham Goal (jail) in Dublin. I thought it was strange to take my sister and niece to tour a jail but he had seen it before and liked it so we went to see it. I was surprised at how interesting it was and the guide was very good. He gave a lot of history. The jail is quite old, having its first prisoners in 1796.
The Goal's "claim to fame" is that it was used to hold political prisoners. Many famous Irish were held in the prison. When the cell that an important figure in Irish history stayed in could be verified, a plaque with the person's name is above the cells. It was the executions of some key members of the 1916 uprising that has raised the goal's importance as well as changed public opinion of the uprising.
The jail itself is a dismal place. The walls are quite thick, the cells small, and it has a musty feel. As an old jail should be, it is quite eery. The newer part of the jail reminds me of modern jails and apparently is the model that most modern jails are built on. Overall, I would highly recommend this tour. Even K enjoyed it but then she likes history. I think she enjoyed the guide and that we could add a bit of information for her to help her understand why people were put in the prison.
2 comments:
great posts on your tour of dublin, heidi
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