Leaders of the Easter Rising are what led to what is now the Republic of Ireland. Each of
the fourteen lead rebels of the rebellion were publicly executed at Kilmainham Gaol, which leaves the jail at the center of Irish history and brutality. Had the leaders of 1916 been allowed to live, Irish history might have taken a different course. This deep rooted history of violence and struggle for freedom aroused my curiosity and thirst for more knowledge. A tour of the gaol gave me an even deeper insight into the harsh conditions in which men, women, and children were subjected to while imprisoned there. It is a sombre, even chilling, place to visit, but absolutely fascinating.
The jail provides awareness to the more recent Irish history and the struggles for independence.
The courtyard at the end is a powerful reminder of how fortunate we are to be free. It is in the Stonebreakers’ Yard that fourteen leaders of the Easter Rising were publicly shot and killed. Among them, James Connolly, who had been wounded and could not stand, had to be tied to a chair to support him during his execution. He was held at Dublin Castle and transferred to the Royal Hospital Kilmainham where he was kept alive long enough to join the others in a public execution.
The Rising and their deaths marked a turning point in Irish history.
When I stood in the execution area, I couldn’t help but feel distraught about the Irish
struggles in their fight for independence, but the blood of these martyrs made Kilmainham Gaol hallowed ground to the Republic of Ireland.
There is a heavy emphasis during the tour on putting the jail into historic context and I left with a much deeper understanding of the often complex forces which shaped the Irish nation.
Bucket List Publications 
This and the Black Taxi tour in Belfast were the most interesting Experiences we had in Ireland. I am a history teacher and felt woefully inadequate– there is so much I don’t know! I appreciated the context provided here and was able to apply it as we had our other adventures on our trip. You have provided a nice “nutshell” of the history in this post.
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I love both tours as well. I may have taught English for 8 years, but History has always been where my main interests rest. I did post about Belfast as well at https://lesleycarter.wordpress.com/2011/09/22/belfast-black-taxi-tour/.
Are you American? in what state do you teach?
Your photos are stunning, especially Day 6 – Kilarney, Cliffs of Moher, Galway Bay.
Thanks for reading and taking the time to comment.
Lesley
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amazing place, the atmosphere is at once solemn and strange.
If you have 5 minutes to take a look at my photos, you’ll see my personal view of that place.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1767285420033.2088495.1176090593&type=1
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Its cool to see a non-national with an interest in Irish History. I wish more Irish people gave some time to thinking about how we got to where we are today.
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I loved visiting Kilmainham when we were in Dublin. It’s so full of history and struggle. It’s an incredible place, I’d recommend it to anyone who was visiting Ireland. The Collins Barracks Museum is also excellent for military/political/social history.
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