Category Archives: June 13

Constance Markievicz at Kilmainham Gaol

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Constance Markievicz was born in London in 1868, although her family home, Lisadell, was in County Sligo, Ireland. She was a childhood friend of Yeats and was featured in his poems “In Memory of Eva Gore-Booth and Con Markievicz” and “Easter 1916.” For me, as a voracious reader, it’s been fascinating to read about places, people, and historical events and to subsequently visit the places featured in poetry, prose, and historical texts. In this way, the literature, so much of which features the events surrounding the Easter Rising, has come alive.

On the 1916 walking tour, it was eerie to see the grapeshot at the GPO. These physical scars on the landscape reinforced the historical reality of what occurred. Although I could envision the battle taking place at St. Stephen’s Green where Constance Markievicz was a sniper during the Easter Rising, seeing her name on the intake registry at Kilmainham Gaol reinforced the reality of her involvement and the consequences of her choices. A portion of the entry that describes her crime reads as follows:

Did attempt to cause disaffection among the civilian population of His majesty.

As I toured Kilmainham Gaol, it was surreal to see the jail cell in which Constance Markievicz was held. Initially, she was sentenced to death, but she had her sentenced commuted to life imprisonment because she was a woman. She was released from prison in 1917 and continued to support the cause of Irish Freedom.

The sentence portion of her registry entry reads as follows:

Death

commuteth to Penal Sentence for Life

The Walls that Changed Irish History

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Today we visit Kilmainham Gaol. It was an awesome experience giving the fact that this place holds major historical significance. When we first arrived we headed towards the museum. My favorite part of course was the second floor , which is the History and Politics section. I was very impressed by the comprehensive collection of legal documents, news papers, letters, and relics found in this section. Kilmainham Goal was established in 1796 and served as prison until 1924. We had the opportunity to go in the tour visit the cells where woman,children, and man served their sentence. We learned that the youngest prisoner was only five years old, and that many of the prisoners were arrested by minor transgressions such as: begging in the streets, or stealing food. During this period of time people were living in extremely poverty , and had no choice, but to relied in these means to survived.  One of the biggest remarks of the tour was  seeing the cells where the leaders of  the Eastern Rising were placed, which are located in the picture above. 14 out of 16 of them spent their last days in here. We are able to visit the place where they, and many other people were executed.

Even thought a week ago I had not previous connection to this place, I felt a little emotional when the the tour guide said:

“What happened between these walls changed the course of Irish History”  (Referring to the walls where the executions took place).

I think that the fact that we have study a little bit of Irish history, and our exposure to the culture & and to this place (Dublin) created that empathy I felt at that moment. These were men who must have love their homeland so deeply that they sacrificed their lives to set it free.

 

When a place smacks you in the face.

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We’ve seen this location in Michael Collins, and we have seen many like it in countless other films, related to and not related to war. Because of this exposure and access to images of imprisonment, it can be argued that we have become desensitized to its effects. However, Kilmainham Goal’s history lingers. Our tour guide mentioned that disease and dampness sunk into the limestone walls of the cells, and I’d argue so did the place’s memories.

Shamefully, throughout the tour, I was distracted by the adorable, large-headed baby being carried by a couple who joined us. But, my distraction was still pointed towards our topic: imagine a child just a few years older than he being caged into these cells? being whipped by guards?

For obvious reasons, the place was painful to experience. It was jarring to peak into the holes for the cells, like the one pictured in this photo. Popular culture and representations of prisons caused me to anticipate something spooky to appear in the hole, while another part of me didn’t require spectacle to become uncomfortable with the space; the history we have been submerged in for the past week is sufficient enough to imagine what the walls of the cells contained and the importance of these bodies. Most of the tour guides have spoke of the “16 lives” highly, and boasted about the honor and bravery of the men and women who offered themselves and their children for the cause. These spaces contained some of these people, and peering through those holes, even while the rooms were empty, I could vividly imagine the bodies of the people we are coming to know.

I also wanted to include this link in our blog: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3xNfbXiUtw
U2 filmed their video for “Celebration” in the Kilmainham Goal, likely as part of the effort to raise funds for restoring the property after years of debate on what should be done with the space.

Kilmainham Gaol

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Today was an incredibly eye-opening day for me. Having the history of the 1916 Easter Rising already fresh on my mind from the previous day, it was amazing to see where the executions of some of the most influential Irish men were executed. As I mentioned previously, there is a huge difference in classroom learning and seeing in real life the landmarks in which history was made. Kilmainham Gaol, having been a prime location for several films, seemed rather familiar to me. The reality really hit me when I saw the names of the prisoners, whom I had read about, on plaques above the cells in which they spent their time at Kilmainham Gaol.

At the very end of the tour, we were brought to the exact spots in which the 14 rebels had been executed. I find it important to mention that although the jail has been turned into a museum popular among tourists, the history and integrity of the infrastructure has been excellently preserved. After walking through the wings of the jail and even inside some of the cells, I had an entirely new perception of the men of the Easter Rising and their final hours.

After a rather heavy day, we got to attend High Tea at UCD. I have really been enjoying the activities and events that the college has been providing that allow us to get better exposure to the Irish culture and customs. Although the High Tea was more or less a social event, I met some lovely people and enjoyed spending time with the ladies in my group. Of course a good photo-opportunity is never a bad way to end the evening!

Kilmainham Gaol

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Today’s tour at the Kilmainham Gaol was an incredibly sobering experience for me. I wasn’t expecting it to have such a powerful effect. I’ve always found that visiting places people have lived, worked, or died has a lasting effect on me. What I experienced today was similar to when I visited Shakespeare’s childhood home in Stratford-Upon-Avon and the Charles Dickens Museum in London, like I could feel Shakespeare and Dickens in the room – I could feel the prisoners there, could see them in my head. Walking past the jail cells gave me chills, especially when I looked through the holes to see the living conditions inside.

For some reason, walking through the actual jail really shocked me – I think it was because of the juxtaposition with the cafe/bookshop area. That area was so neat, organized, and modern, and when I walked into the jail the difference completely threw me off guard. I really felt uncomfortable about the modern area – I know exactly why they made those renovations, but there was something unsettling about having a piece of chocolate cake and a flat white right beside the place where many, many people were murdered or imprisoned for life. The gentrification in those kind of places often makes me feel guilty because I know what this place has stood for and what has happened there. Like Cresswell says, memories make up a place, and I was constantly thinking about the memories and experiences of the prisoners here. The tour guide was absolutely fantastic in facilitating that knowledge and making sure everyone understood the gravity of the location. In particular, the exercise yard and the location of the executions were the most chilling – the latter being obvious, and the former because I pictured the monotonous task of walking around in a circle for exercises, with mandated silence.