Cork City Gaol

Cork City Gaol is a striking 19th-century prison turned heritage attraction set on a hillside in the Sunday's Well neighbourhood, a short walk from Cork city centre. The castle-like limestone building was designed by Sir Thomas Deane and opened in 1824, holding both male and female prisoners until the early 20th century, when it served briefly as a place of detention during the Irish Civil War before closing in 1923.

Today visitors tour the wings and cells with an audio guide, encountering lifelike figures that recreate the harsh daily routines of inmates and warders. Exhibits explore the social conditions that drove ordinary people to crime in 19th-century Ireland, the stories of individual prisoners, and the role the gaol played during the struggle for Irish independence.

The upper floors house the Radio Museum Experience, set within the original transmitter rooms of 6CK, Cork's pioneering radio station which broadcast from the building in the 1920s. Vintage radios, microphones and broadcasting equipment trace the early history of Irish radio, making the gaol an unusual two-in-one visit.