I have always been interested in old prisons, so decided to visit Kilmainham Gaol. The design of Kilmainham was influenced by panopticon design (like Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, about which I have done a lot of work), where visual surveillance is used to intimidate prisoners into good behavior. It is a very important site for the Irish, as it is where many political prisoners were jailed during the many struggles for independence from Britain. Probably the most famous inmates were the leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising, most of whom were executed in the prison yard. There is a very detailed museum explaining this history, and our tour guide gave us an impassioned tour of Irish nationalism and the resulting conflicts.
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| part of the execution yard |
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