Plan a Visit
Opening Hours
Kilmainham Gaol Museum is open all year round, except the 24th- 27th December (inclusive)
October – March 9:30 – 17:15
April – May 9:30 – 17:45
June, July & August 9:30 – 18:00
September 9:30 – 17:45
Location & Entrance
The new Kilmainham Gaol Museum Visitor Centre is located 3.5km from Dublin City Centre.
Entrance is now through the former Kilmainham Courthouse.
Transport
Dublin Bus routes: no. 60 from Wellington Quay or Heuston Station, G1/G2 from Spencer Dock or Wellington Quay. Check the Dublin Bus website for further information.
Luas Tram: red line – nearest stop is Suir Road. Check the Luas website for further information.
Car Parking: Kilmainham Gaol has no car parking facilities. Parking is available at the nearby Irish Museum of Modern Art/Royal Hospital Kilmainham – access via East Gate, Military Road. The car park is a 5 minute walk to the Gaol via West Avenue and Richmond Gate.
Coach Parking: There is limited coach parking available on Inchicore Road.
Drag the yellow figure to the red pin to explore the site at streetview level.
Facilities
A café is situated on the first floor in the Courthouse.
Kilmainham Gaol currently has no secure lockers for luggage. However, there is a designated space in the entrance hall where visitors are welcome to leave large personal belongings. The area is covered by CCTV camera but Kilmainham Gaol accepts no responsibility for any lost or stolen items.
Visitors should also note that children’s buggies/strollers, wheelie bags and large items of luggage are not permitted on the tour.
Guided Tours
Kilmainham Gaol is a very busy site and the pre-booking of tickets is essential to gain access at your chosen day and time.
The Gaol is accessed by guided tour only with a maximum of 35 people per tour.
Visitors should be at the Gaol 15 minutes before their tour is due to start.
Groups with 10 or more people must be booked in advance by contacting kilmainhamgaol@opw.ie Please note that group bookings are allocated on a first come first served basis.
Your Visit
The average length of a visit to the Museum and guided tour of Gaol is 90 minutes.
Guided tours of the building take approximately one hour. Due to the nature and duration of the guided tour, Kilmainham Goal is not recommended for children under the age of 6. Visitors should also note that children’s buggies/strollers are not permitted on the tour. During the winter months the Gaol building is very cold so please dress appropriately.
Photography / Video
For permission to carry out commercial and professional filming or photography, please visit https://heritageireland.ie/visit/venue-hire/filming-and-photography/
Admission Charges
Access to the Gaol is by guided tour only.
Children under the age of 12 are free of charge but still require a ticket to gain entrance. Holders of the Heritage Card are also required to pre-book their ticket online.
Adult €8.00
Senior (60+) €6.00
Student €4.00
Child (0-11) €0.00
Child (12-17) €4.00
(Two adults & 2-3 children 12-17) €20.00
Groups (min 10 people/max 35 people) must be pre-booked in advance by emailing kilmainhamgaol@opw.ie
Group (adults) €6.00 per person
Group (students) €4.00 per person
Unaccompanied minors (under 18 years of age) will not be admitted.
School groups are entitled to free admission under the Free Educational Visits for Schools Scheme
Also in the Area
Royal Hospital Kilmainham
Distance: 110m to nearest gate.
See especially Bully’s Acre, a graveyard with thousand-year-old history on the grounds.
Phoenix Park
Distance: 1.6km to nearest gate.
One of the largest walled city parks in Europe, with a number of heritage attractions within.
The Irish National War Memorial Gardens
Distance: 850m.
Dedicated to the memory of Irish soldiers lost in the Great War, this is one of the most famous war memorials in Europe.
Richmond Barracks
Distance: 1.3km.
From barracks to prison to school to museum, this historic landmark influenced Ireland’s Independence. Opens to the public on the 2nd of May, 2016.