Forts, Prisons and Gaols in Ireland

While there is a fun aspect to visting many of these places - standing high on battlements, 'taking aim' from bastions or hiding in a prison cell - they can also be chilling and even disturbing places to visit.

They were frequently scenes of bloody battle or held, in appalling conditions, prisoners whose 'crimes' were as minor as stealing a few scraps of fabric. For some they were their last resting place before being deported from Ireland never to return. Others left them only to walk to a gallows or firing squad.

However they reward visitors with a deeper understanding of the forces that shaped Irish history, and that continue to affect the opinions and actions of many people living in Ireland to-day.

Charles Fort

Forts & Jails Near Kinsale, Co Cork

Built in 1680 during the reign of King Charles II, this fort remained a British army base until Irish Independence in 1921. A huge fort, with walls up to 6m thick and five defensive bastions around its perimeter, it was built in a star shape, a configuration...
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Desmond Castle

Forts & Jails Kinsale, Co Cork

A typical urban tower house, Desmond Castle has had a varied, if not always illustrious, history since it was built around 1500 by Maurice Fitzgerald, the 8th Earl of Desmond. Originally built as a custom house, collecting taxes on goods landed in the...
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Duncannon Fort

Forts & Jails Duncannon, Co Wexford

Duncannon Fort as it is to-day mostly dates from 1588, when it was constructed on a promontory near the strategically important port of Waterford as a defence against an expected attack from the Spanish Armada. Prior to that there was a 12th century...
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Kilmainham Gaol

Forts & Jails Kilmainham, Dublin

Built in 1796, Kilmainham Gaol (or Kilmainham Jail) has an unique place in Irish History and was where for more than 100 years those who fought against the English occupation of Ireland were imprisoned and where many of them died. It is a sombre, even...
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