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Cork City Gaol, Cork

4.4

#1 of 141 in Museums in Province of Munster

History Museum Historic Site

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At Cork City Gaol you can experience what it was like to live in a 19th-century Irish prison. The facility opened in 1824 and closed in 1923, but the museum was not available to the public until 1993. Tour the grounds, view furnished cells, and walk the halls of this historic prison. At different points over the years, both male and female prisoners were jailed here. Many Irish War of Independence and Irish Civil War Republicans were held in this prison, including the famous writer Frank O'Connor. Though the prison has a somber atmosphere, take the time to appreciate the beauty of the structure, designed by architect William Robertson and built by the Deane family. Find out how to plan Cork trip without stress by asking Inspirock to help create an itinerary.

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Cork City Gaol Reviews

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TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

1,771 reviews

Google

4.5

facebook

4.7

7 likes

• By 568kristineb

  I had an absolutely wonderful experience at the Cork City Gaol. I don’t know if they offer guided tours (I think they do?) but I was offered a self-guided tour to which I could add an audio guide (I....  more »

• By M3582UStimo

  We found Cork Gael very interesting and informative, well worth a visit, but we thought it was a bit expensive.  more »

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Google

• By Thea Di Staola

  The Cork City Gaol was one of the best attraction I visited in Cork! You can discover a lot of things about what happened in the last two centuries and you can also have a lovely tour around the beautiful building. Everything is clear and well-organized, so you can easily do your own visit without the guide. I would come back again, because my experience was amazing! The price is quite cheap (10,50€ adult - 8,50€ student/senior - 6€ children under 18) and I recommend it to everyone who is going to Cork. The guided tour start every 30 minutes.

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• By P Young

  10€ for a guided tour. Takes around and hour and a half. Very friendly and knowledgeable staff. Due to the well kept records of the prison, detailed records of the conditions, the inmates, and the history is available. The tour includes interesting stories of some of the inmates, including women and children, who served time here.

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