I recently visited Cork City Gaol back in October of 2023 and I was not disappointed. I've been passing by this landmark site for years and always wondered what the tour was like so on a random Sunday in October we decided to visit!

The Staff: The staff are very knowledgeable about the site and they are more than willing to answer any queries that you may have with their friendly nature!

The Tour: You can book ahead or show up on the day. We chose to pay for our tickets at the front desk. There is a couple of tour options to choose from as there is staff guided tour and two self guided tour options either with the use of a paper guide or an audio. We went for the staff guided tour as we felt that it was worth it and the tour guide was full of information about the site. The tour started off by bringing us through the Warden's quarters and giving a breif history about what it was like for the warden's family living at the jail. Then we were brought to the dubble sided prision wing which was once for the men. This wing has been renovated and preserved by the private owners of the site. The tour will take you through the cell's here and they have various examples of life sized male and female prisioners that depict what conditions were like for the prisoners. Some graffiti belonging to the prisoners has been preserved in some of the cells and is really interesting however, some people have since left their own graffiti in other cells damaging the 19th century masonry. At the end of the tour there is a projector room and a room with a diorama representing what the jail once looked along with all of the various buildings that you can interact with.

Gift Shop: There is a small gift shop in the main jail building selling snacks, drinks, books etc. but it is quite small.

Note: This site is spread across a large area that will take you outdoors first and then indoors to the old prision so bringing a rain jacket is good idea. The prision is a stone building and in October it was a little chilly indoors so having a warm fleece wouldn't go astray either. Be prepaired for a number of staircases however, the tour moves at a slow pace so you won't be out of breath to keep up.

Overall Opinion: Cork City Gaol is very interesting and I am glad I finally got a chance to see it. The old structure is full of history and the tour is very informative and I think it does justice for this Cork City landmark! It would be lovely if the state or the private owners might one day renovate and preserve the building in its entirety as well as some of the building out back for future generations to see and enjoy!