Cork Gaol

[Rochester]

One of the excellent sites in Cork that is a must-see for just about anyone is Cork Gaol, or Jail. This is a very fascinating place and a very historic one.

It was built in the beginning of the 1800's, to replace what evidently was a terrible hole of a prison. It was beautifully designed, like a cross except with two sidebars. Inside they have restored several of the cells, which you can look into.

The inmates were kept almost entirely in solitude and silence, which drove some of them crazy. The cells were tiny, maybe ten feet by five feet, and must have been absolute torture to stay in for months or years at a time. Obviously, that really is the purpose of a prison, to be a deterent, but most of the inmates in that time were only petty thieves that were struggling to survive, and stealing a loaf of bread and receiving six months in that place seemed to be astonishingly cruel.

Still, it was fascinating to see the kind of prison that existed in the 1800's through the 1920's. It was a different style, obviously, much less humanitarian than today's style. There is an audiotape that people can carry around and listen to a narrative of each section, which is very interesting and also quite profound. It describes the stories of a lot of people down on their luck who ended up getting the shaft.

There is also a video display, which I found to be tedious and fairly lame. The cells and the tape are definitely the best parts of the experience. That, and knowing that you are walking under an area where they had built gallows to hang those who ended up receiving death sentences. Somehow that has an impact on the mind. The prison really is very interesting, though, and a good way to spend a morning.

[boxfrenzy]

That looks a good place to visit. It is a shame that sportswear clad yoofs can't be locked up in there for about 40 years of silence. Nice pictures too

[Rebel]

This is what jails should be like, not full of playstations and dvd players!

[BB]

A proper jail Great shots
Not like the holiday camps of these days

[S8]

Oh god, the manakins

If I am ever in the area, I will stop by here

[Stoka]

Pretty cool in there isn't it. Looks as dead as it was when I went.

[converse1]

Like this fella, but those mannequins.... Don't like them!

[skin]

Yeah the mannequins really add to make a creepy atmosphere in this place - cool stuff - they should re-open it.

[evilnoodle]

Looks really good.

[Rochester]

To be fair to them they have made a really good job of making the tour interesting. I would love to get in the abandonded bits though.