Wicklow Gaol
| Wicklow Gaol | |
|---|---|
| Priosúin Chill Mhantáin | |
  Location in Ireland | |
| Alternative names | The Gates of Hell |
| General information | |
| Type | Prison |
| Architectural style | Victorian prison |
| Address | Kilmantin Hill, Wicklow, County Wicklow |
| Coordinates | 52°58′44″N 6°02′14″W / 52.978835°N 6.037132°WCoordinates: 52°58′44″N 6°02′14″W / 52.978835°N 6.037132°W |
| Construction started | 1702 |
| Completed | 1843 |
| Renovated | 1995 |
| Demolished | 1954 (partial) |
| Technical details | |
| Material | slate, granite, red brick, timber, cast iron |
| Floor count | 3 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | William Vitruvius Morrison |
Wicklow Gaol is a former prison, now a museum, located in Wicklow, Ireland.[1]
History
There has been a prison on the site since the late eighteenth century. It was extended in 1822 to a design by William Vitruvius Morrison and further extended 1842-3. It was closed down by 1900 but reopened to hold republican prisoners during the Irish War of Independence and Irish Civil War; the last prisoners left in 1924. In 1995 it was renovated and reopened as a museum in 1998, claiming to be one of the world's most haunted buildings, due to the long history of suffering associated with it. It featured on a 2009 episode of Ghost Hunters International.[2][3] Prisoners were held at Wicklow Gaol during the 1798 Rebellion and the Irish Potato Famine, as well as many held there prior to penal transportation.[4]
References
- ↑ Heritage, National Inventory of Architectural. "Additional Images: Buildings of Ireland: National Inventory of Architectural Heritage".
- ↑ http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/tv-radio/haunted-wicklow-jail-to-feature-on-tv-show-26676913.html
- ↑ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1473524/
- ↑ "Wicklow gaol listed among the top 10 most haunted places in the world – WicklowNews".