Kilmainham Gaol (The Jail)

The Kilmainham Gaol is now among my favorite tourist places in Dublin (and located between the Guiness Storehouse and the Irish Museum of Modern Art - FYI to all those who want to visit).

The most shocking part of the tour: I didn't hear one story about people who deserved to be there. Ireland's most patriotic leaders (the ones of the Easter Uprising of 1916) all lived there for awhile and the most famous were executed there.

The tour also focused on the Irish Potato Famine of 1845-1849, when the jail was overcrowed with those who stole food. A loaf of bread was punishable by two weeks in jail, and 50% of the people in jail were women.

Here's more on Kilmainham Gaol from Wikipedia. no pictures - none of them turned out. Here's a photo of the main hall, with plenty of light to rehabilitate the criminals.