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Kilmainham Gaol Museum

Kilmainham Gaol Museum, Dublin

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Kilmainham Gaol Museum

See all things to do
See all things to do
Kilmainham Gaol Museum
4.5
26,862
#2 of 662 things to do in Dublin
Speciality Museums • Historic Sites
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About
This bleak old jail was notorious in the 19th century for its harsh treatment of prisoners.
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Tours & experiences
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What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
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The area
Address
Neighbourhood: Kilmainham
How to get there
  • Suir Road • 8 min walk
Best nearby
We rank these restaurants and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location.
Restaurants
1,980 within 5 kms
La Dolce Vita
555
0.1 km€€ - €€€ • Italian • Pizza • European
Limetree Cafe
308
37 m€ • Quick Bites • Irish • Cafe
BRÚ House Kilmainham
588
0.3 km€€ - €€€ • Irish • European • Contemporary
The Patriots Inn
440
0.1 km€€ - €€€ • Irish • Bar • Pub
Hilton Dublin Kilmainham Restaurant
131
0.4 km€€ - €€€ • Irish • Bar • Pub
The Officers Mess Cafe
20
0.3 km€€ - €€€ • Cafe
The Glen of Aherlow - Donoghue's
14
0.1 km€ • Pub
Broyage Bar & Bistro
44
95 m€€ - €€€ • Irish • Bar • Pub
Newland Chinese
14
0.2 kmChinese • Fast food • Asian
Brambles Cafe - Kilmainham Gaol
2
0.4 km€€ - €€€ • Irish
See all
Attractions
624 within 10 kms
The Proclamation Sculpture
6
34 mPoints of Interest & Landmarks
War Memorial Gardens
226
0.5 kmGardens
St. Michael's Church
2
0.4 kmPoints of Interest & Landmarks • Churches & Cathedrals
St. Jude's Church of Ireland Tower
1
0.4 kmAncient Ruins • Points of Interest & Landmarks
Pearse Lyons Distillery
495
1.3 kmDistilleries
Guinness Storehouse
47,147
1.5 kmSpeciality Museums • Historic Sites
Royal Hospital Kilmainham
116
0.7 kmHistoric Sites • Architectural Buildings
The Little Museum of Dublin
12,086
3.4 kmSpeciality Museums • History Museums
Roe & Co Distillery
230
1.6 kmDistilleries
Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA)
537
0.6 kmArt Museums
See all
Popular mentions
4.5
26,863 reviews
Excellent
19,264
Very good
5,886
Average
1,222
Poor
258
Terrible
234
packyderm
Cambridgeshire, UK577 contributions
Must do
May 2022
very interesting and moving tour. Knowledgeable guide. Narrow walkways so can be a bit crowded. Recommend booking in advance.
Written 24 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
JET1955
Bournemouth, UK15 contributions
A historical highlight
May 2022
Well worth the trip out to Kilmainham from the city centre. Very informative about the history of the gaol.
Written 24 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Michelle France... C
10 contributions
Excellent experience. A must!
May 2022 • Couples
Absolutely charmed at the guided tour. We had Ellen and she was so knowledgeable and had a great sense of humour. We learned so much and really enjoyed ourselves. It’s essential to visit this place at least once. So humbling yet enlightening.
Written 22 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Jessica S
16 contributions
A MUST do in Dublin
May 2022 • Friends
Excellent! You MUST book tour ahead of time, don’t be disheartened if there aren’t tickets available initially. We kept checking and tickets were released as people cancelled. Tour was excellent, great way to get a interesting history of Ireland. Our guide Emma was excellent, answered lots of questions and explained things really well. Great value for money too. One of my favourite things I’ve done in Dublin.
Written 22 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
RoadWarrier99999
Isle of Palms, SC487 contributions
Very informative and moving
May 2022 • Couples
A well organized presentation of a place with very significant history. Our guide did a thorough job of informing and entertaining, offering anecdotes from the lives of those who have spent time and suffered there. Well worth a visit.
Written 22 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Karen W
26 contributions
Great experience
May 2022 • Solo
Really interesting place, you get a guided tour round and it’s really informative, the only downside is sometimes it’s a bit rushed and you don’t get to have a proper look around. Some parts are closed off because they are still doing them up but I’m nosey so I wanted be able to wonder round but you can’t.
Written 21 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Alessandro M
Padua, Italy9 contributions
A must to do in Dublin
May 2022 • Friends
The visit at the Kilmainham Gaol is a must to do in Dublin. We had the pleasure to be guided throughout the itinerary by Orla, the local guide that passionately explained us the history of the prison, of its inmate and the historical background of Ireland during the years while the prison was actively operating. The whole visit was really interesting and gives a dept insight of the vicissitudes that interested Ireland especially in relation of its independence.
One of the most interesting sites to discover Ireland and its history.
Totally suggested to book the visit way in advance as it’s really difficult to find a free spot.
Written 20 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Sandra S
Island of Malta, Malta8 contributions
Amazing, informative visit
May 2022
BIG TIP - Do book ahead of time as it is truly worth the visit.

Our tour guide EMMA was fantastic - she made the history of the gaol extremely interesting and detailed. I would have loved to hear more about the women who had been gaoled there, their backgrounds and history, but time was limited. However, Emma was brilliant and really help us to "feel" the experience. She was certainly patient with the never ending questions and with me, as I wanted to capture as much as I could with my camera so at times lagged behind!!. Thank you!!!
Written 20 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
gourmetflaneur
York, UK1,063 contributions
Excellent account of Easter 1916 and surrounding history
May 2022
This is truly worth a visit. The gaol as gaol in impressive. As a significant part in the liberation of Ireland it is impressive through the story telling of the guides. They do a marvellous job. Highly recommended.
Written 19 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Jay F
2 contributions
Not to be missed when in Dublin.
May 2022 • Couples
Highly recommend this guided tour around Kilmainham Gaol, our tour guide Adam was amazing and very funny. We learned so much from him and enjoyed every minute. He is a credit to the place.
Written 18 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
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Frequently Asked Questions about Kilmainham Gaol Museum
We recommend booking Kilmainham Gaol Museum tours ahead of time to secure your spot. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. See all 16 Kilmainham Gaol Museum tours on Tripadvisor