The gaol (DON'T call it a 'jail,' apparently...) is unsurprisingly cold and damp. I won't give too much of the history here, mostly because our tour guide didn't do a great job of explaining it. Most of the people on the tour were foreigners like myself, who don't know that much about Irish history, but this guide seemed to assume we all knew the details. Even so, it was interesting to see this building which played host to some of the most famous people in Irish history, including the leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising.
In addition to seeing their cells, we also saw the change in the style of incarceration in the architecture. Kilmainham was a 'reform' prison, a marked improvement over the conditions and facilities so familiar to Dickens. In fact, part of the new wing was almost beautiful. So long as you had a coat and were free to leave... Some pictures:
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