Do you have to book tickets for Kilmainham Gaol?
Yes, it is recommended to book advance tickets. The jail is only accessible by guided Kilmainham Gaol tours, and they are limited to a maximum number of people. The prison is a popular site that sells out, though some tickets may be available at the last minute.
Is Kilmainham Gaol worth visiting?
Yes, Kilmainham Gaol is worth visiting. This Dublin site is one of the city’s top historical landmarks, and the guided tour provides an excellent overview of moments in Irish history, such as the 1916 Easter Rising. The jail is not recommended for children under 6, and strollers are not allowed.
Are there parking facilities at Kilmainham Gaol?
No, there are no designated parking facilities for Kilmainham Gaol. Parking is nearby at another landmark, the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA). The museum's car park is approximately a 5-minute walk from the jail. It is possible to use public transportation to reach this site.
I remember going on a tour around Kilmainham Gaol one time. It was years ago. Anyway I was the last in a line of people listening to a guide. All of a sudden I felt this tap on my shoulder and a push from behind (This was in around the cell area on the stairway. Near the beginning of the tour). Course I looked behind me and there was no one there. The place has some hauntings from what I hear. The chapel area has an evil presence apparently. And the jail even locked up kids during the famine for stealing bread. Anyone else have any paranormal encounters in Kilmainham Gaol?
When I was a kid, I remember we did a tour with school around Kilmainham. All good until we got to one room and even though I was only like 9 or 10, this room made me feel overwhelmingly sad and I just wanted to cry. Tour guide caught up to us and told us that this was the cell one of the Easter Rising leaders were kept in, the night before he was executed. Then we walked on further and went out into this big prison yard area, again the moment I stepped out into it, I felt sick and overwhelmingly sad, it was like I just got bad vibes from the place, just an insane oppressive feeling. Tour guide then proceeds to tell us how this is the yard where they were all brought to be executed. No ghosts, but I always remember it. I was a kid, didn't know anything about empaths or mediums or whatnot. I just remember telling my mum about it afterwards cause it freaked me out so much. Never experienced anything like that ever again despite visiting a few 'haunted' locations.
I went here in Feb 2023, I heard an ominous low groan/wail, whilst we were on the tour of the jail. It was so spooky!