Cork City Gaol

Cork City Gaol will take you and the kids back in time as you enter this atmospheric building full of cells with lifelike inmate and even historic graffiti on the walls.

You will be able to discover different periods in Irish history, from the days before the famine, to the foundation of the state. There is an excellent audiovisual display, with information about 19th century social history, contrasting lifestyles, and the reasons why some people became criminals. Some of them even ended up in Australia!

Discover the different crimes that people were imprisoned for, the rules and regulations of the prison, including the Treadwheel, which was a form of punishment! Learn about the spectacular escape from the Women's Gaol in 1923, the prison school, plus details of some of the prison's more famous inmates.

The Radio Museum is also worth a visit, and involves a self guided tour through radio history with a number of interesting exhibits to investigate. Learn about early communication, try the Morse Key and the Oscillope, and see a great collection of different radios from various decades. You can also visit the 1927 cork radio broadcasting studio and learn about the various artefacts inside. There is a Control area too, where you can tune into the world!