On 12th November we paid a half day visit to Cork City Gaol and Wilton shopping centre.We had a fascinating conducted tour of the gaol ( this spelling is old english apparently not gaelige as I thought) The Gaol was built in 1824 and closed in 1923 and was known as the womens gaol but did indeed house men too at different times.It was interesting to hear that the governor got £250 a year whereas the Doctor got £20.
People got sentenced for stealing bread to feed their family or for being drunk as well as more serious crimes. Among the photos is a 16yr old girl whose baby was born in prison and a 9yr old boy who was beaten mercilessly ( he never came back again).The guards considered they had good jobs as they were warm and well fed and their families were housed and educated in the Gaol.Some prisoners committed crimes deliberately to come into gaol and be fed as they were starving outside.The food was meal corn and milk, no meat or vegetables. One woman got a seven year sentence for stealing a length of calico. The sentence was so severe because she was a seamstress and had been in prison before for short terms so they used her to make prison uniforms and teach other women prisoners to sew. So obviously the Judge and Governor were hand in glove!
A group of inmates!
The prison Governor
The original keys of the gaol
A frightening fellow
16 yr old prisoner with her baby
9yr old boy
Watch out Michael
The guards on a break
Photographs by Michael Stubbs
Mallow ARA
I remember hearing about the great escape in Nov 1923 when 42 hardened male criminals escaped.It was very well planned but also depended on the position of the moon and luck to an extent.They used rope ladder made from bed clothes and went in their stockinged feet which was not easy on such a frosty night. Some were recaptured but most escaped . Two brothers from Kerry took two weeks to get home and were never recaptured . It was thought they went abroad. Rene Collins
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