Cork County Gaol

Cork County Gaol was a former prison located in Cork City, Ireland. The main walls and gate entrance of the prison are today incorporated in the perimeter of University College Cork.

The main Cork County Gaol buildings were erected in the years 1818-23, earlier buildings had been on the site in the 1790s.

The 19th Century building was designed and built by the brothers James and George Pain.

The Gaol was designed in the Greek Revival style, with a monumental Doric entrance portico. Inside there was a central building with radiating cell-block wings, a governor’s house, a chapel and a series of other buildings and yards, including homes for the families of some prison officials.

When the prison opened in the 1820s it housed both male and female prisoners, whose crimes were committed within the County boundary but outside the Cork City boundary (anyone committing a crime in the city was committed to the City Gaol, across the river at Sunday's Well.

During the first half of the nineteenth century the County Gaol also served as a temporary prison for convicts who had been sentenced to be transported to Australia.

The County Gaol was the scene of executions by hanging, which took place in public outside the Gaol until the 1860s.

The 1878 General Prisons (Ireland) Act reorganised the prisons in Cork. The Cork County Gaol became a Men’s Gaol (for Cork City and Cork County) and the Cork City Gaol in Sunday's Well became the women’s Gaol (for Cork City and Cork County). On the day the change came into effect female prisoners were marched out of the Western Road and over to the Sunday's Well prison, while the men were marched in the opposite direction.

During the Parnell Commission in 1888/1889 one of the facts entered into evidence against Tim Healy was the fact that he had "visited certain persons" in Cork prison.

During the Irish War of Independence (1919-22), the Gaol was used to hold republican prisoners.

On 17 October 1920 Volunteer Mick Fitzgerald died on Hunger Strike at Cork Gaol.

On 25 October 1920 Volunteer Joe Murphy died on Hunger Strike at Cork Gaol.

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Wikipedia