The History of the Irish- Dublin (Day 3)

KILMAINHAM GOAL
One of the most enlightening experiences we had was on our last day in Dublin (we flew out Monday evening) was spending time at the Kilmainham Goal, a jail turned museum. It was an incredibly educational experience, reminding us both that it was not so long ago that Ireland experienced incredible tragedy as it struggled for independence, tearing families and friends apart. The story is told well, and the tragedy felt, while touring the Goal; rather an appropriate experience on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

The Jail

The front door of the jail where public hangings took place well into the beginning of the 1900s.

The older portion of the jail is built out of limestone. It was cold and damp, and served as a refuge for hundreds of people who were searching for food and shelter during the potato famine. During the famine, men, women and children were all held in single rooms all together. The ledgers for the jail, held in the museum, show many people held for petty theft (Ex: stealing

Looking out from a cell.

The newest portion of the jail, based on the idea of Foucault's Panopticon.

Looking out from a cell.

Spiral staircase inside Panopticon.

Jail grounds where daily exercise was held. The prisoners walked in a straight line with their hands behind their backs for one hour daily.

The flag and memorial plaque placed for the men killed in 1916 for their role in the Easter Rising.

The plaque honouring the men killed here, in the stone cutter's yard.

A FEW MORE DUBLIN SIGHTS

After the jail, we walked back to our hotel before heading home.

The tallest public sculpture in the world. Also referred to as the knitting needle.

Here it is, up close and personal.

Gardens at the art museum.

The General Post Office was the headquarters for the Easter Rising of 1916.

The River Liffey.

Our last sip of Guinness before heading home.