Download the app and start listening
GPS-guided audio guide while you walk.
About this place
Practical information
Points included in this audio guide
Red Chapel
The Red Chapel at Kilmainham Gaol serves as the starting point for the prison's guided tours. This intimate space carries profound historical weight, notably as the site of one of the most poignant moments connected to the Easter Rising of 1916. Visitors begin their tour here, encountering the emotional significance embedded within these walls—a tangible link to a pivotal moment in Irish history.
West Wing
The West Wing is the sole surviving section of the original 1796 prison design, preserved in its original state. It's a cramped, dimly lit and damp space featuring cells built for one inmate that frequently held several prisoners. The barred lunette windows lack glazing, leaving them fully exposed to the elements. What to see here offers a stark and authentic glimpse into conditions of confinement from nearly two centuries ago.
East Wing (Ala Este)
The East Wing is the most distinctive and widely photographed section of Kilmainham Gaol, built in 1861 according to Victorian penitentiary principles. Its design arranges ninety-six cells around a vast central atrium lit by a skylight, creating a visually striking yet deeply moving space that powerfully conveys the building's historical significance. What to see here offers a compelling insight into 19th-century prison conditions and Irish history.
Patio of the Masons
Stonebreakers' Yard is the inner courtyard of Kilmainham Gaol where fourteen leaders of the Easter Rising were executed by firing squad between 3 and 12 May 1916. It forms the centrepiece of any visit to the complex and remains the most symbolically significant space within the prison. This is where you'll understand the profound historical weight of Ireland's struggle for independence during those pivotal days over a century ago.
1916 Corridor
The 1916 Corridor is the section of Kilmainham Gaol where participants in the 1916 Easter Rising were held, and stands as one of the most historically charged and emotionally resonant spaces within the museum. The cells here preserve the direct memory of Republican leaders who were tried and executed within the prison. This is what to see if you want to understand a pivotal moment in Irish history.
The Proclamation (sculpture by Rowan Gillespie)
The Proclamation is a monumental sculpture by Dublin-born artist Rowan Gillespie, positioned at the entrance to Kilmainham Gaol. It features fourteen draped figures arranged in a megalithic circle, each pierced with bullet holes as a memorial to the leaders of the Easter Rising who were executed in the prison. The work stands as a powerful tribute to those pivotal moments in Irish history.
Entrance Block with Hydra
The entrance block at Kilmainham Gaol is the first threshold visitors pass through, marked by a narrow doorway with viewing slits and forbidding stone facade that immediately establishes an atmosphere of confinement. The stone surround, featuring rough rustication and vermiculation, is topped by a chained serpent—the mythical hydra—serving as a stone symbol of the gravest crimes. Granite sockets remain visible in the lintel where the gallows were secured for public executions that took place before this very entrance.
- 1.Red Chapel
- 2.West Wing
- 3.East Wing (Ala Este)
- 4.Patio of the Masons
- 5.1916 Corridor
- 6.The Proclamation (sculpture by Rowan Gillespie)
- 7.Entrance Block with Hydra
Kids audio available
Kids version available with adapted and fun language for the little ones (17 min)
Prefer to discover on the go?
Buy photo credits and take a photo of any monument. Our AI will recognize it and you'll receive the audio guide instantly.
Share with your family
Share your audio guides with your family using a single access code.
Learn how it worksDownload Guipock and start exploring
Audio guides narrated while you walk. Available on the App Store.
