Places to visit: Tours

14 Henrietta Street interior

14 Henrietta Street

Dating from the 1720s, Henrietta Street in Dublin’s North inner city is the most intact collection of early to mid-18th century aristocratic townhouses in Ireland. These vast houses were divided into tenements from the 1870s to the 1890s to house the city’s working poor.

Built as a townhouse for the members of Dublin’s ruling elite, 14 Henrietta Street was divided into 19 tenement flats in 1877, with some 100 people living under its roof by 1911. It remained a tenement house until the last families left in the late 1970s.

14 Henrietta Street tells the story of the building’s shifting fortunes, from family home and power base to courthouse; from barracks to its final incarnation as a tenement. The stories of the house and street mirror the story of Dublin and her citizens.

14 Henrietta Street seeks to help visitors deepen their understanding of the history of urban life and housing in Ireland, through people and memory. Taking the stories, personal experiences and objects of former residents of the tenements, coupled with new ongoing social and architectural history research, the Museum gathers, interprets and preserves Dublin’s tenement history.

Why tenement living developed in Dublin – After the Acts of Union were passed in Great Britain and Ireland in 1801, all power shifted to London and most politically and socially significant residents were drawn from Georgian Dublin to Regency London. Dublin and Ireland entered a period of economic decline, exacerbated by the return of soldiers and sailors at the end of the Napoleonic Wars. The rise of the cotton mills of Lancashire had a negative impact on the Irish poplin industry.

For a time, Henrietta Street was occupied by lawyers. Dublin’s population swelled by about 36,000 in the years after the Great Famine, and taking advantage of the rising demand for cheap housing for the poor, landlords and their agents began to carve their Georgian townhouses into multiple dwellings for the city’s new residents.

Houses such as 14 Henrietta Street underwent significant change in use – from having been a single-family house with specific areas for masters, mistresses, servants, and children, they were now filled with families (often one family to a room,  the room itself divided up into two or three smaller rooms – a kitchen, a living room, and a bedroom). Entire families crammed into small living spaces and shared an outside tap and lavatory with dozens of others in the same building.

For the safety of visitors, groups must be small, with no more that 15 on a tour at a time. Tour Guides accompany you through three floors of the house and its many stories, told through the walls of the house itself, recreated immersive rooms, sound and film.

As the building dates from the late 1720s with minimal intervention in the structure, some spaces are small and the steps of the original back stairs are uneven and steep. It’s advised that you wear comfortable shoes, and perhaps dress in layers, as parts of the house can be a little cold.

14 Henrietta Street recognised in European and Irish awards – The conservation of a  former tenement house at 14 Henrietta Street in Dublin’s north inner city was named Best Conservation/Restoration Project, and won the Special RIAI Jury Award at the prestigious annual RIAI Irish Architecture Awards. The museum also won the Silletto Trust Prize at the 2020 European Museum of the Year Awards.

Also of interest is the “Georgian Dublin Outdoor Walking Tour: Henrietta Street and Beyond”. This consists of a walk through Georgian Dublin, courtesy of the award-winning museum 14 Henrietta Street.

The tour begins on Henrietta Street, the first Georgian street in Dublin and the template from which all other Georgian streets followed. The tour charts the fortunes of the Gardiner Estate on Dublin’s Northside, stretching from Henrietta Street to Mountjoy Square, from its beginnings as the best address in town to its decline to tenement housing. It’s a story that mirrors the fortunes of Dublin City and many of its residents.

Visitors will learn about the man who built Henrietta Street, the ‘Jewel in the Georgian Crown’, the lavish lifestyles and social lives of families who lived there, including the Molesworths from number 14, and how one man’s vision and ingenuity created the world’s first maternity hospital.

2021 marked the 300 year anniversary of Henrietta Street, with the Gardiner family purchasing the land in 1721 and the development of the street starting soon after. The building of Henrietta Street marked the beginning of the golden age of Georgian Dublin when the cityscape was transformed into the one we see today. Taking visitors to some of Dublin’s most elite addresses and grand Georgian squares, the tour will explore the architectural and social history of the city and reveal the details of the lives lived behind the elegant red brick facades.

Opening Hours:
Wed to Sun: 10am – 4pm
Tours of the house run on the hour, starting at 10am.
Pre-booking is essential, guided tour only.

Georgian Dublin Outdoor Walking Tours run Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday at 11.30am and 2pm. House tour and walking tour require separate bookings, but are discounted if booked at the same time.

There are frequent talks and culture nights scheduled outside normal opening hours.
Check here to see what’s on, or to book the regular tours.

Contact & Pricing:
14henriettastreet.ie
info@14henriettastreet.ie
Tel: 01 524 0383
14 Henrietta Street, Dublin 1
Adults €10; concessions

(Featured photo by Ross Kavanagh)

Glasnevin Cemetery

Glasnevin Museum and Cemetery

Wittily dubbed “Croak Park” by local wags, over 1.5 million people are buried here. Visit the graves of famous people and hear about Irish history on a guided tour. Trace your roots in the Genealogy Area (all the records are available online at www.glasnevintrust.ie/genealogy).

The highly popular Irish History tour gives an insight into Victorian and later times. Visit the final resting place of men and women who have helped shape Ireland’s past and present, such as Daniel O’Connell, Charles Stewart Parnell, Michael Collins, Maud Gonne and Roger Casement. Explore the high walls and watchtowers surrounding Glasnevin and learn about the colourful history of Dublin’s grave robbers.

A particularly dramatic attraction is the once-a-day re-enactment of famous speeches (e.g. Patrick Pearse delivering the graveside oration at Jeremiah O’Donovan Rossa’s funeral or James Larkin’s famous speech made at the front gates of Mountjoy Prison). These take place at 2.30 pm every day.

Padraig Pearse’s 1915 oration [“The Fools, the Fools, the Fools! – they have left us our Fenian dead – And while Ireland holds these graves, Ireland unfree shall never be at peace”] roused Irish republican feeling and was a significant element in the lead-up to the Easter Rising of 1916.

Museum attractions include the City of the Dead (an exhibition covering the burial practices and meticulous record-keeping regarding the 1,500,000 people buried in Glasnevin); the Religion Wall (illustrating different beliefs about the after-life); the Milestone Gallery (which houses a succession of special exhibitions on key historical figures, starting with Glasnevin’s founder, Daniel O’Connell); and the Timeline (a 10- metre long digitally interactive table containing details of the lives and relationships of hundreds of the most famous people buried here).

You can now climb the O’Connell Tower – Ireland’s tallest round tower – for the first time in over 45 years. As you pass through the ornate crypt of Daniel O’Connell, you begin the journey to the top of the monument built in his honour. After a comprehensive restoration programme, the staircase in the tower is now accessible, complete with an exhibition about the legendary figure himself and the fascinating history of the tower. Once at the top, you will enjoy 360 degree panoramic views of the sprawling grounds of the cemetery, the city of Dublin, Wicklow and the Irish Sea (see www.dctrust.ie AND www.dctrust.ie).

An article in the Irish Times weekend magazine in November 2021 contained a number of surprising facts about Glasnevin Cemetery.

There are more people buried in Glasnevin Cemetery (1,500,000) than there are currently alive in Dublin. 800,000 of these people are buried in “poor ground” or unpurchased graves.

Glasnevin Cemetery was founded by Daniel O’Connell in 1832. As noted in the book “Dead Interesting: Stories from the Graveyards of Dublin” (by Shane MacThomáis), the guiding principle behind the establishment of the cemetery was that those with no money at the end of their days would be able to find a place to be buried (whether from workhouses, tenements, Magdalene laundries or industrial schools). A plot for those who cannot afford a burial still exists today.

One more anecdote – when the famous political leader, Charles Stewart Parnell, was buried, his coffin left City Hall at midday. But his burial had to take place under moonlight such was the extraordinary number of mourners who turned out to pay their respects.

https://www.irishtimes.com/

When planning a visit to the Cemetery, remember that you can now access the Botanic Gardens via the cemetery. A gate access to the “Botanics” from within the cemetery has been re-opened. The gate is located along the wall at the far side of Glasnevin Cemetery (the Prospect Square entrance).

Opening Hours:
Open 10am – 5pm, 7 days a week.
A variety of tours and exhibitions are available, which may change seasonally.
The signature attraction is the Irish History Tour, with optional addition of the O’Connell Tower Climb. This tour is subject to availability, but usually starts at 11.30am, 1.30pm and 2.30pm. Booking is recommended.
Women in History Tour available on the last Sunday of the month at 1.00 pm.
Self-Guided and audio tours also available.

Trace your roots in the Genealogy Area (all the records are available online at dctrust.ie/genealogy/home).

There is limited car parking space on the main road opposite the cemetery. However, a convenient but hard to find car park is available within the housing estate opposite the cemetery (a fee is payable as you leave this car park).

Contact & Pricing:
dctrust.ie/experience-glasnevin.html
info@dctrust.ie
Tel: 01 882 6550
Finglas Road, Dublin 11
Tickets start at €9 for Adults; concessions

Government Buildings

Government Buildings

An imposing complex built by the former British administration in Ireland, the building now accommodates the Department of An Taoiseach, the Department of Finance and the Office of the Attorney General.

When built by the British, the complex was designed for two new government departments, the Local Government Board and the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction, as well as the Royal College of Science, then housed in 51 St Stephen’s Green. By coincidence, the complex was completed in March 1922, and was available immediately to be occupied by the new Irish Free State government.

In more recent times, the building has been converted and entirely refurbished to form modern accommodation for a number of departments.

Opening Hours:
Tours take place every Saturday at 10.30 am, 11.30 am, 1 pm.
Tickets can be collected from 10.00 am on Saturdays from the National Gallery.

Please note that visiting arrangements are subject to cancellation on short notice (due to official State business), so visitors should check in advance to avoid disappointment.

Contact & Pricing:
heritageireland.ie/visit/places-to-visit/government-buildings
Tel: 01 645 8813 / 01 619 4116
Upper Merrion Street, Dublin 2
Admission free.

GPO O'Connell Street

GPO Museum – O’Connell Street

The GPO Museum “Witness History” is a visitor attraction which puts you right inside the GPO (General Post Office) during Easter Week in 1916. History comes to life as you experience events from both sides of the conflict and through the eyes of bystanders caught in the crossfire, availing of electronic touch screens, video, audio visual booths, sound and authentic artefacts (many previously unseen). You can compose newspaper reports, examine the original copy of the Proclamation and send Morse code to declare the Irish Republic by radio.

Explore the events of the Easter Week through personal stories, eyewitness accounts and historical artefacts; use interactive maps to route military dispatches from the GPO to Stephen’s Green; compare the life of a wealthy child in Dublin at the time to the life of a child of the tenements; use touch screens to learn about the events leading up to the 1916 Easter Rising and its aftermath; examine the impact the Rising had on Ireland (both North and South) and throughout the world; and explore how Easter Week has been commemorated over the past 100 years.

After the exhibition, you can relax and reflect in the café and retail store overlooking the courtyard. The courtyard is also home to a commissioned sculpture called ‘They are of us all’, commemorating the forty children who died during the Easter Rising.

The General Post Office is the centrepiece of O’Connell Street. It was designed by Francis Johnston in 1814 in Greek revival style and completed in 1818. He wanted to build a handsome building that would add to Dublin’s architectural beauty and emphasise the important role of the Post Office in Irish life. There was a fine public office at the front, a courtyard for the mail coaches at the back and an imposing façade complete with classical columns and statues on the roof. The statues are of Hibernia (Ireland), with Fidelity to one side and Mercury to the other. During the 1916 Rising, the GPO was one of three Dublin landmarks – along with the Four Courts and the Custom House – destroyed in the fighting. It was rebuilt and re-opened in 1929.

Just after midday on Easter Monday 1916, a band of rebels stormed the GPO. They ordered staff and customers to leave and seized control of the building, making it their headquarters during the fierce fighting of Easter Week. Ireland was declared a sovereign nation on the front steps of the GPO when Patrick Pearse read the Proclamation of Independence on Easter Monday. In the face of considerable military opposition, the rebels held the GPO for almost a week. With the building on fire and crumbling, the rebels tunnelled through the walls of neighbouring buildings and retreated to nearby Moore Street. On Saturday, Pearse took the decision to surrender.

The Easter Rising, though it ended in failure, set into motion an unstoppable chain of events which would ultimately lead to the creation of the Irish Republic.

The 1916 Proclamation is one of the most important documents of modern Irish history. Drafted in large part by Padraig Pearse, it was hurriedly printed in Liberty Hall on the night before the Rising began. The copy on display here is one of the few to have survived the turmoil of Easter Week and the passage of over a century.

Opening Hours:
Tues to Sat: 10 am–5 pm, last admission 4 pm
Closed on Sunday and holidays.
Self-guided tour – Book online in advance as this is a very busy visitor centre.
Public guided tours on Saturday only.

Private tours for groups (10 people and over) may be arranged by booking in advance with the reservations office (an additional cost applies).

Closed New Year’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter Sunday, Dec 23-26.

Contact & Pricing:
anpost.com/Witness-history
info@gpowitnesshistory.ie
Tel: 01 872 1916
General Post Office, O’Connell Street Lower, Dublin 1
Adults €15; concessions.

Guinness Storehouse

Guinness Storehouse

Ireland’s number one visitor attraction, providing a journey into the heart of the world famous Guinness brand and company. This historic building is central to Dublin’s heritage, and has been continually updated to create a blend of industrial tradition and contemporary edge. The seven floors bring to life the rich heritage of Guinness, telling the story from its origins at St. James’s Gate in Dublin to its growth as a global brand, known all around the world.

The enormously popular tour takes in the history of the Guinness family, the ingredients and craft of brewing, cooperage and transportation, Guinness’s long tradition of award winning advertising, the craft of pouring the Perfect Pint, the use of Guinness in cooking, and a chance to enjoy a pint of Guinness in the lofty Gravity Bar, taking in breath-taking panoramic 360° views of the city.

The Open Gate Brewery is the home of brewing experimentation and innovation at St. James’s Gate where Guinness brewers are given license to explore new recipes, reinterpret old ones and experiment freely to bring exciting new beers to life. You can purchase Guinness stout and the latest brewers project releases like Hop House 13 lager, Dublin Porter and West Indies Porter.  You can also purchase experimental beers.  Some of these beers will end up on tap at your local pub or on the far side of the world, while others will never leave these walls.

Opening Hours:
Mon to Fri: 10am – 5pm
Saturday: 9.30am to 6pm
Sunday: 9.30am to 5pm
Opening hours are seasonal and subject to change, advance online booking recommended.

The Open Gate Brewery opens Friday to Sunday: 12pm – 9pm, last orders at 8pm. Over 18s only.

The cheapest ticket includes a self-guided tour and a pint of Guinness (or non-alcoholic alternative).  Optional upgrades and additions are also offered.

Closed Dec 24-26 & Good Friday.

Contact & Pricing:
guinness-storehouse.com
info@guinnessstorehouse.com
guinnessopengate.com
Tel: 01 408 4800
St. James’s Gate, Dublin 8
Adult tickets start at €26; concessions

IMMA

Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA)

The Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA) is Ireland’s leading institution for modern art and is located at the atmospheric complex of buildings known as the Royal Hospital, Kilmainham. [For heritage information about this location, please see the separate entry entitled “Royal Hospital Kilmainham“.]

The Museum’s temporary exhibition programme regularly juxtaposes the work of leading, well-established figures with that of younger-generation artists to create a debate about the nature and function of art. Works shown range from painting and sculpture to installation, photography, video and performance. 

Exhibitions usually last three to four months and up to four shows can be on view at any one time. IMMA originates many of its exhibitions but also works closely with a network of international galleries and museums.

This link takes you to a list of current events and exhibitions:  www.imma.ie

Opening Hours:
Tues to Sat: 10am – 5.30 pm (except Wednesday, opens 11.30am)
Sundays & Bank Holidays 12pm – 5.30pm
Closed Mondays (except Bank Holidays), Good Friday, 24-26 Dec.

Tours providing a general introduction to IMMA exhibitions take place Wed, Sat & Sun 2.30 pm. Each tour lasts 30 minutes. No booking required, arrive early for tours as numbers are limited.

Pre-booked guided tours are available, but must be booked at least 2 weeks in advance. Tour booking times are Tuesday to Friday at 9.30am, 10.30am, 11.30am and 2.30pm.

Tours are led by IMMA staff and are free of charge, donations are welcome.

Contact & Pricing:
imma.ie
Tel: 01 612 9900
Royal Hospital, Military Road, Kilmainham, Dublin 8.
Admission free (there is a charge for occasional special exhibitions).

Irish Rock'n'Roll Museum

Irish Rock’n’Roll Museum Experience

The Irish Rock’n’Roll Museum Experience is essentially a tour featuring some of Dublin’s best loved professional music facilities, including the Button Factory (a live music venue); Temple Lane Rehearsal Studios; and Temple Lane Recording Studio (where artists such as Rihanna, the Script and Kodaline have recorded).

The Thin Lizzy exhibition celebrates one of Ireland’s greatest bands, within the setting of Apollo Studio where Phil Lynott recorded his last songs before his untimely death. The exhibition is incorporated into a fully functioning studio and features memorabilia such as gold and platinum albums, set lists, some of Phil Lynott’s costumes, and musical instruments.

The Wall of Fame as a symbol of Irish music royalty has been a fixture in Temple Bar since its unveiling in 2003, providing a focal point for many of Dublin’s walking tours and showcasing the music that is such an integral part of Irish culture. Recently, LED screens were added to the exhibit, allowing for new artists to be added to the exhibit more frequently.

Down through history, certain guitars and equipment have become as legendary as the musicians who play them. Gibson, Fender, Marshall, and Vox are companies that any musician or music enthusiast will know and love. On display in the museum is an extensive variety of vintage instruments and equipment.

Temple Lane Rehearsal Studios are the premiere rehearsal studios in Dublin. Many acts do pre-production for albums here, trying out new material and getting songs ready to record or perform. Now you can experience what it’s like to rehearse with your very own band.

Temple Lane Recording Studio has been at the centre of Irish music since 1984. Countless bands have recorded here, including Paolo Nutini, The Script, Rihanna and many more. Now, for the first time, explore and experience the iconic studios for yourself.

Opening Hours:
Open 7 days a week 10.30am to 5pm.
Advance booking recommended.

Contact & Pricing:
irishrocknrollmuseum.com
Tel: 01 677 7134 / 089 449 0795 (weekends).
Curved Street, Temple Bar, Dublin 2
Adults €20; concessions

Irish Whiskey Museum

Irish Whiskey Museum

The Irish Whiskey Museum uncovers the intriguing story of Irish whiskey. Learn the origins of Irish whiskey, its rise to glory, its dramatic fall and its current revival. Located opposite the main entrance of Trinity College, the museum is very centrally located.

The Museum contains a unique collection of Irish whiskey memorabilia that dates back to the 1800s. At the end of the tour you enjoy a sample of Irish whiskey.

There are 4 tours available:

  • Irish Coffee Masterclass teaches you the history and technique of Irish Coffee.
  • The Classic Tour consists of a guided tour and 3 Irish whiskey tastings.
  • The Premium Tour consists of the tour, 4 Irish whiskey tastings and a souvenir whiskey glass.
  • Blending Experience is an extended 75-minute option, including a tasting of 4 Irish whiskeys, plus a chance to blend your own personalised miniature bottle of whiskey to take home.

Opening Hours:
Tours run 10.30am – 5.30pm; early bird discount rates before 12pm.
Tour times vary depending on type, book online to see availability.

Contact & Pricing:
irishwhiskeymuseum.ie
info@irishwhiskeymuseum.ie
Tel: 01 525 097
119 Grafton Street, Dublin 2
Irish Coffee Masterclass – Adults €20; concessions
Classic Tour – Adults €22; concessions
Premium Tour – Adults €25; concessions
Blending Experience – Adults €35; concessions

James Joyce Centre

The James Joyce Centre is a beautifully restored Georgian town house, exhibiting items relating to the life and work of James Joyce.

The house was built in 1784 by Francis Ryan for Valentine Brown, the Earl of Kenmare, who used it as his townhouse. The plasterwork was done by Michael Stapleton, one of the finest stuccadores of the time. The house was given special mention by Constantine Curran in his book “Dublin Decorative Plasterwork of the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries”, and the photographs he took were essential to the restoration of the house. Curran was also a close friend of Joyce’s.

In the 18th century this area of Dublin was very fashionable but it fell into decline in the 19th and early 20th centuries. By 1982 twelve houses on the street had been demolished by the City Council as dangerous buildings, including the house next door. Number 35 was saved by Senator David Norris, a Joycean scholar who also lives on this street. For many years, the Centre was run by descendants of Joyce’s brother Charles Joyce and sister May Monaghan. It is now run as a limited company with the support of the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.

The James Joyce Centre also offers guided walking tours of historic Joycean Dublin, taking in some of the monumental and ordinary sights and sounds of the city in which Joyce staged all his works. See the separate entry entitled “James Joyce Centre Walking Tours”.

Opening Hours:
Tues to Sat: 10.30am – 4.30pm
Closed Sun & Mon
Walking tours take place every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 11am.

Contact & Pricing:
jamesjoyce.ie
info@jamesjoyce.ie
Phone 01 878 8547
35 North Great George’s Street, Dublin 1

Kilmainham Gaol

Kilmainham Gaol

Kilmainham Gaol is one of the largest unoccupied gaols in Europe and its history is relevant to some of the most heroic and tragic events in Ireland’s emergence as a modern nation from the 1780’s to the 1920’s. Attractions at this splendidly atmospheric site include a major exhibition detailing the political and penal history of the prison and its restoration. The tour of the prison (which is outstanding) includes an audio-visual show.

When the Gaol was first built, public hangings took place at the front of the Gaol. There was no segregation of prisoners; men, women and children were incarcerated up to five in each cell, with only a single candle for light and heat, most of their time being spent in the cold and the dark. The cells were roughly 28 square meters in size.

Children were sometimes arrested for petty theft, the youngest said to be a seven year-old child, while many of the adult prisoners were transported to Australia. Remarkably, for an age that prided itself on a protective attitude for the ‘weaker sex’, the conditions for women prisoners were worse than for men. An official 1809 report  observed that male prisoners were supplied with iron bedsteads while females ‘lay on straw on the flags in the cells and common halls.’ Half a century later there was little improvement.

Between 1796 and 1924, Kilmainham Gaol was a place where, apart from Daniel O’Connell and Michael Collins, every significant Irish nationalist leader of both the constitutional and physical force traditions was incarcerated. Thus, its history as an institution is intimately linked with the story of the Irish nationalism.

The majority of the Irish leaders in the rebellions of 1798, 1803, 1848, 1867 and 1916 were imprisoned there. It also housed prisoners during the Irish War of Independence (1919–21) and many of the anti-treaty forces during the civil war period. Charles Stewart Parnell was imprisoned here, along with most of his parliamentary colleagues, when he signed the Kilmainham Treaty with William Gladstone.

Kilmainham Gaol was decommissioned as a prison by the Irish Free State government in 1924. Seen principally as a symbol of oppression, there was no interest in its preservation as a monument to the struggle for national independence. The jail’s potential function as a focus for national memory was complicated by the fact that the first four republican prisoners executed by the Free State government during the Irish Civil War were shot in the prison yard.

The site now houses a museum on the history of Irish nationalism and offers excellent guided tours of the building. An art gallery on the top floor exhibits paintings, sculptures and jewellery of prisoners incarcerated in prisons all over contemporary Ireland.

[Thanks to Wikipedia for the above information]

The main exhibition at Kilmainham Gaol Museum tells the story of the social and political history of the prison. Three main themes are explored on the different levels of the exhibition space: the social history of Kilmainham Gaol and Irish prisons in the 1800s, the history of Irish nationalism and republicanism, 1796-1924, and the restoration of Kilmainham Gaol in the 1960s.

The ground floor exhibition tells the story of Kilmainham from the perspective of the ordinary prisoner. A prison register for the Gaol shows the crimes for which men, women and children were imprisoned, ranging from violent assault to stealing apples from an orchard. Visitors can see the small wooden box used by convict John Sheahan to carry his possessions to Australia in 1842. A Victorian-era Gandolfi camera, used to capture prisoner ‘mugshots’, is also on display.

Rebellion, nationalism and the path to independence are the themes of the exhibition on the first floor, which deals with Irish political history from the 1798 rebellion up until the end of the Irish Civil War in 1924. Objects on display include Robert Emmet’s proclamation of a provisional government of Ireland in 1803, the last letter written by Charles Stewart Parnell and scapulars taken from the body of Michael Collins following his assassination in 1922.

The ‘Last Words’ section displays the last letters and personal belongings of the fourteen leaders of the Easter Rising executed at Kilmainham Gaol in May 1916. The final floor of the exhibition tells the extraordinary story of a group of volunteers who rescued Kilmainham Gaol from near ruin in the 1960s and restored it.

Opening Hours:
Open 7 days: 9.30am – 5.15pm.
Late opening until 5.45pm in July and August.
The Gaol is accessed by guided tour only with a maximum of 35 people per tour. During peak tourist seasons the venue is often fully booked, and cannot accommodate walk-ins. Pre-booking of tickets is essential to gain access at your chosen day and time.
Closed 24 – 27 December.

Contact & Pricing:
kilmainhamgaolmuseum.ie
kilmainhamgaol@opw.ie
Tel: 01 453 5984
Adults €8 (online price); concessions