County: Dublin Site name: Kilmainham Gaol, Kilmainham
Sites and Monuments Record No.: DU018-125 Licence number: C00695 E4636
Author: Colm Flynn
Site type: Gaol
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 712540m, N 733743m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.341934, -6.309978
Archaeological monitoring at the various locations in Kilmainham Gaol took place during the summer of 2017 for utilities upgrades. During monitoring of works inside the entrance of the Stonebreakers Yard a small 0.35m diameter pit was identified at a depth of 0.3m below existing ground level at the western corner of the doorway of the yard. A large number of individual (c. 30) iron metal gaol keys and a block of oxidised keys (c. 40) were recovered from this pit. Specialist conservation and analysis was carried out by Conservator Jennifer Stapleton between October 2017 and December 2019. The keys include individual cell keys, floor keys, internal door keys and yard keys.
The Gaol was closed in 1926, and the keys could represent a failed prison attempt. There is no known operation of this kind from the War of Independence or the Civil War.
No other archaeological objects or features were identified or recovered during the works.
Kilmainham, Mountmellick, Co. Laois
