Brutal Imprisonment and Death

Modeled on London's "modern" Pentonville Prison, Kilmainham Gaol's Panopticon allowed guards to see all prisoners.
Modeled on London’s “modern” Pentonville Prison, Kilmainham Gaol’s Panopticon allowed guards to see all prisoners.

How important was Kilmainham Gaol historically? Leaders of the rebellions of 1798, 1803, 1848, 1867 and 1916 had been imprisoned there, and many were executed, between Kilmainham’s opening in 1796 and its de-commissioning by the Irish Free State in 1924. Except for Daniel O’Connell and Michael Collins nearly all prominent Irish revolutionaries had been prisoners of Kilmainham, which is today one of Ireland’s most visited national heritage sites. Ironically, it was designed as a progressive prison, with three stories, three galleries, and an open skylight to provide healthful light and air. The cells were for individuals, an improvement on the old crowding, though an easy step to isolation and sensory deprivation.