MuseumClosed 24-27 December

Kilmainham Gaol

#8of 10 places to visit in DublinDublin, Leinster, Ireland

Also known as Kilmainham Gaol Museum · Kilmainham Jail

Quick answer

Opening hours: 10:30–17:15. Entry: €8. Allow 1.5 hrs. Best time: First tour of the morning.

Updated 18 September 2026 · Compiled by Traveliac, AI-assisted · 4 min read

Get directionsOfficial site

Photo: Colin / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Opening hours: 10:30–17:15; The Courthouse Visitor Centre is open 09:30-17:15 daily; the museum is open 10:30-17:15 (the window shown here). Entry to the cells is by timed guided tour only; no tour times are given. The site closes 24-27 December (inclusive) and closes early on 23 December. The free exhibition The Prisoners Lens runs to 31 October 2026.
Entry fee: €8; Ticket from
Time needed: 1.5 hrs
Best time of day: First tour of the morning
Best months: May – Sep
Address: Inchicore Road, Kilmainham, Dublin 8, Ireland

About Kilmainham Gaol

Kilmainham Gaol charges EUR 8 for adults as of 2026 and admits visitors only on a pre-booked guided tour of about one hour, with 90 minutes advised for the museum as well. The gaol opened in 1796 as Dublin's county prison and is best known as the place where 14 leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising were shot by firing squad in the Stonebreakers' Yard in May 1916. Grey stone walls, iron cell doors and the skylit Victorian East Wing have made the building a frequent film location, and the guides cover the political prisoners held here from the 1798 rebellion to the 1920s.

Best time of day: First tour of the morning. When the yards and East Wing are quietest and light falls through the skylight of the Victorian wing.

Kilmainham Gaol timings

Kilmainham Gaol opens at 10:30 and closes at 17:15. It keeps the same hours on Saturday and Sunday.

Opening hours: 10:30–17:15; Mon–Sun 10:30–17:15; The Courthouse Visitor Centre is open 09:30-17:15 daily; the museum is open 10:30-17:15 (the window shown here). Entry to the cells is by timed guided tour only; no tour times are given. The site closes 24-27 December (inclusive) and closes early on 23 December. The free exhibition The Prisoners Lens runs to 31 October 2026.
Closed on: 24-27 December

Mon–Sun	10:30–17:15

Good to know: The site closes 24-27 December (inclusive) and closes early on 23 December. The free exhibition 'The Prisoners' Lens' runs to 31 October 2026.

Opening hours compiled from kilmainhamgaolmuseum.ie and public records, last updated 18 September 2026. They change without notice — confirm before you travel. How we write these guides

Kilmainham Gaol ticket price

Entry fees for Kilmainham Gaol
Ticket	Price
Standard ticket	€8
Concession (student / senior)	€6
Children	Free

Adult tickets are EUR 8 as of 2026, seniors EUR 6, students EUR 4, and a family ticket (2 adults and 2-3 children under 18) EUR 20, per the official plan-a-visit page. Children under 12 enter free but still need a booked ticket. Visits are by guided tour only and must be pre-booked at the official booking site; tickets from third-party sites are not valid. Verify current prices at kilmainhamgaolmuseum.ie.

Prices compiled from kilmainhamgaolmuseum.ie and public records, last updated 18 September 2026. They change without notice — confirm before you travel. How we write these guides

Best time to visit Kilmainham Gaol

Moderate
Busy
Very busy

09:30 - 11:00
First toursBest time to go
Earliest tours tend to be quieter, though morning tickets sell out first.
Moderate
11:00 - 14:00
Main tour window
Tour groups fill to capacity, and the visitor centre and museum are busiest before and after each tour.
Very busy
14:00 - 16:00
Afternoon
Groups remain full through the afternoon, and cancellations released at 09:15 are usually taken.
Busy
16:00 - 17:15
Last tours
Numbers drop slightly toward closing, though late tours still book out in summer.
Moderate

History of Kilmainham Gaol

Kilmainham Gaol opened in 1796 as the new county gaol for Dublin and closed in 1924 when its last prisoners were released. The Victorian East Wing was added in the 1860s, a hall with a glazed roof and cells on iron galleries around a central floor.

Robert Emmet, executed in 1803 after his failed rising, was held here, as were Anne Devlin, Fenian prisoners of the 1860s, Charles Stewart Parnell in 1881-82 and Countess Markievicz. In May 1916, 14 leaders of the Easter Rising were executed in the Stonebreakers' Yard, and the guides tell the story of Joseph Plunkett marrying Grace Gifford in the gaol chapel hours before his death.

Kilmainham Gaol stood derelict for decades until volunteers began restoring it in the 1960s, and it opened as a museum in 1971. The state took full responsibility in 1986, and the Office of Public Works now runs it as a national heritage site.

Rules & etiquette at Kilmainham Gaol

Kilmainham Gaol admits visitors on guided tours only, and tickets must be booked online in advance through the official site; tickets from third parties are not valid. A limited number of tickets are released 28 days ahead at midnight Irish time, and extra tickets are released daily at 09:15.

Buggies and large luggage are not allowed on the tour, and there are no lockers, though the visitor centre has a designated storage area. The official site does not recommend the tour for children under 6. Wheelchair users should email kilmainhamgaol@opw.ie before booking so that staff can arrange support.

Kilmainham Gaol's Stonebreakers' Yard is a memorial to the men executed there, and visitors are expected to keep voices low and stay with the group. Follow the guide's instructions on photography.

Tips for visiting Kilmainham Gaol

1
Kilmainham Gaol sells out in peak months, so set a reminder for the midnight ticket release 28 days before your date and check the 09:15 daily release for cancellations. Book the earliest tour if you can, as afternoon groups are the largest.
2
The Courthouse Visitor Centre, open 09:30-17:15, has a café and gift shop that need no ticket, and the exhibition 'The Prisoners' Lens: Secret photography in Kilmainham Gaol, 1921' is free to enter until 31 October 2026. Arrive 15 minutes before your tour time to clear the courthouse.
3
Kilmainham Gaol is 3.5 km west of the city centre. Take Luas Red Line to Suir Road, or Dublin Bus routes 60, G1 or G2. The Irish Museum of Modern Art, a five-minute walk away, has car parking and gardens for a break after the tour.

How to reach Kilmainham Gaol

The red star is Kilmainham Gaol; the numbered pins are the 9 nearest places in our guides, each showing its rank in its city. Tap a pin for details.

Inchicore Road, Kilmainham, Dublin 8, IrelandDirections in Google Maps

From Dublin city centre (Heuston or O'Connell Street)
3.5 km · 20-30 min
About EUR 2.00 with a Leap Card (as of 2026, verify at luas.ie)
From Dublin city centre
3.5 km · 20-30 min
EUR 2.00 with a Leap Card (TFI 90 Minute fare, as of 2026)
From Heuston station
2 km · 25-30 min
Free (walking distance)

Nearest airport

From Dublin Airport (DUB)

about 15 km, 40-60 minutes by bus or taxi.

Nearest station

From Suir Road Luas stop (Red Line)

about 8 minutes on foot; Heuston station about 25 minutes on foot.

Kilmainham Gaol FAQs

How much does Kilmainham Gaol cost?

Adult tickets cost EUR 8 as of 2026, with seniors at EUR 6, students at EUR 4 and a family ticket at EUR 20. Children under 12 enter free but still need a booked ticket, so verify prices at kilmainhamgaolmuseum.ie.

Do you need to book Kilmainham Gaol in advance?

Yes. Access is by guided tour only, and tickets must be booked online in advance. Tickets are released 28 days ahead at midnight Irish time, with extra tickets released daily at 09:15.

How long is the Kilmainham Gaol tour?

The guided tour lasts about one hour, and the official site advises allowing 90 minutes to include the museum before or after the tour.

Who was executed at Kilmainham Gaol?

Fourteen leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising were shot by firing squad in the Stonebreakers' Yard at Kilmainham Gaol in May 1916. Robert Emmet, executed in 1803, was also held in the gaol before his execution elsewhere in Dublin.

Compiled with AI assistance from official sources and public records, and published only after the checks in How we write these guides. Nobody from Traveliac has visited this place. Last updated 18 September 2026. How we rank and check places