Wicklow Gaol is a historic prison located in the town of Wicklow in Ireland, famous for the brutality of its guards and the harsh treatment suffered by prisoners, many of whom were imprisoned. for petty crimes like stealing a potato. The prison was closed in the 20th century, however there are stories that some ghostly inmates never left.
Wicklow Prison as it is today ( CC by SA 3.0 )
Wicklow Gaol is recorded as having been opened in 1702. During that time, the gaol was used to house prisoners convicted under the Penal Code. These were repressive laws passed against Roman Catholics in England and Ireland after the Reformation and aimed at punishing those who continued to practice Roman Catholicism, as well as imposing disabling measures civil to Catholics.
Imprison rebels
In 1798, almost a century after Wicklow Gaol first opened, the Irish Rising of 1798, also known as the Rising, broke out. This was a local uprising against British rule in Ireland, which ended in defeat for the rebels. County Wicklow is a major conflict zone and its prison is used to hold captured rebels. Many of them were executed and their bodies disposed of by throwing them into offshore waters from fishing boats. A number of prominent rebels were also imprisoned in Wicklow Gaol. Two of Wicklow Gaol’s most famous prisoners during this time were William “Billy” Byrne and James ‘Napper’ Tandy.
Models inside Wicklow Gaol recreate former scenes
Byrne was one of the leaders of the rebellion and led several attacks in County Wicklow before his capture, trial and execution. While imprisoned in Wicklow Gaol, he was treated differently from other prisoners. For example, Byrne was given a private cell with a bed and could open the cell door at will. By comparison, other prisoners, including men, women and children, were locked in cells holding 10 to 14 people and shackled to the floor. After Byrne’s execution, his sacrifice for Ireland was commemorated by the erection of a statue in the center of Wicklow Market Square. Furthermore, Byrne was immortalized in a song about his life.
Most prisoners, including men, women and children, were held in overcrowded cells and shackled to the floor.
As for Tandy, he was imprisoned in 1801, several years after the rebellion was suppressed. He was originally a Dublin shopkeeper and had campaigned for political change in Ireland since the 1780s. He was convicted of treason in 1801, but escaped execution due to his connections with colonial France. Napoleon. Rumor has it that Napoleon himself negotiated Tandy’s release. After being imprisoned in Wicklow, Tandy was sent to France in 1802.
Inside the Wicklow goal today
Going to Australia – The worst punishment
Many prisoners at Wicklow Gaol who had committed political crimes were sentenced to ‘transportation’, meaning exile to Australia. For many Irish people today, this is not a punishment because sunny weather and beautiful beaches await them. But in the 18th and 19th centuries, this was one of the worst punishments. First, it’s a one-way ticket; prisoners will never see their families or loved ones again.
But many have never been to Australian shores. “Famine and mutiny endangered the lives of everyone on board; both red shirts and convicts,” the Wicklow Historic Gaol website reports . “The convicts had to survive lack of food, warmth, illness and exhaustion on the long journey to Australia. Many people sentenced to ‘transportation’ for minor crimes died before arriving at their intended destination.”
Women on ships who ‘served’ the guards had better justice and were given extra rations for their ‘favor’.
Women who performed ‘favors’ for the guards were more likely to survive because they were given extra rations.
Search for food
Another important event in Irish history that left its mark on Wicklow Gaol was the Great Famine that lasted from 1845 to 1849. Many people died of starvation during this period, and those who survived had to resort to extreme measures to maintain life. As a result, crime increased, especially livestock theft. For example, it was reported that between 1846 and 1850, 800 cases of cattle and sheep theft were reported in Wicklow.
At the height of the famine in 1848, up to 780 people were packed into Wicklow Gaol’s 77 cells, the highest number of prisoners ever recorded. Conditions in Wicklow (and all of Ireland) were so bad that many people had to commit petty crimes in order to be sent to prison, where at least regular meals were provided.
At the height of the famine, some people committed crimes in the hope of being sent to Wicklow prison, as they felt life would be easier inside.
Children in Wicklow prison
Before prison reform in Ireland, there was no distinction between adults and children when it came to sentencing or punishment, and throughout its history, Wicklow targeted many children, most of whom were imprisoned for burglary. petty theft. The youngest person in the goal record book is Thomas Pitt, an eight-year-old boy who was jailed and flogged for stealing two shillings from a woman’s purse.
Children were treated as harshly as adults – they were beaten, starved and made to work on treadmills, a cruel torture device in which prisoners were forced to work on treadmills for up to five hours everyday. Children would struggle to keep up with the pace set by adults on the treadmill and would fall and be trampled by other inmates.
Full-sized reproduction of Wicklow Gaol’s treadmill (VisitWicklow)
Wicklow Prison is known as a haunted museum
Over the years, this target became known to be haunted by many tortured souls who lost their lives within the prison walls. Some of the paranormal events reported by visitors to the target include: a blue mist floating around the main floor, a man seen coming out of cell 19, a woman wearing a velvet robe Black is walking on the ground floor, the sound of children crying. , and a man is seen walking in front of bars to a cell. Some of these events are witnessed by several visitors or staff at the same time.
Halloween at Wicklow Prison
Wicklow Gaol continued to be used into the 20th century, when it was decommissioned in 1924. The building was abandoned and gradually fell into ruins. During the 1990s, the prison was restored due to its historical significance and in 1998 it reopened as a museum.
