7 Go to jail
We don’t mean for good… but for a slice of the island’s turbulent history. Fearsome island fortresses, chilling cell blocks and bleak punishments: life inside Ireland’s oldest gaols was brutal in every sense of the word. In Dublin’s Kilmainham Gaol you can get a glimpse of Ireland’s political history from the last century. In Cork City Gaol, step back in time to see what 19th and early 20th century life was like in Cork, both inside and outside prison walls. The exhibition shows amazingly lifelike figures, furnished cells and sound effects that allow the visitor to experience the day-to-day life of prisoners and gaolers.
Walk in the footsteps of over 25,000 prisoners at Belfast's Crumlin Road Gaol. Since it first opened in 1846, "The Crum" has held murderers, suffragettes and political rebels. Or visit Wicklow Gaol, said to be one of Ireland's most haunted places. Daring visitors can book ahead for the Paranormal Tour – this is not for the faint-hearted!