Kilmainham Courthouse Visitor Centre Opens

A new visitor centre has been opened at Kilmainham Courthouse as one of the Ireland 2016 'Permanent Reminders', Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Heather Humphreys has announced.

Minister Humphreys welcomed the opening of the new centre, which is one of nine 'Permanent Reminders' being delivered as part of the Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme.

President Michael D. Higgins was the guest of honour at a special event on Wednesday evening to officially open the new facilities.

Guests visiting the historic Dublin site will now be able to access Kilmainham Gaol by entering through the Courthouse, and avail of new facilities including a café and welfare facilities, a bookshop, as well as historic interpretation and displays relating to the building.

The project was made possible with the collaboration of the Courts Service who made the former Court building available. The new building will allow the OPW, who manage the Gaol site, to offer a much improved level of service to the approximately 330,000 visitors who come to the site every year.

Speaking today Minister Humphreys said: "As the site of the executions of fourteen leaders of the 1916 Rising, Kilmainham Gaol is a very evocative location, and a building of great significance to the Irish nation. These new facilities will greatly enhance the visitor experience at what is already one of Dublin's top tourist attractions.

"Kilmainham Gaol is one of the nine key 'Permanent Reminders' being developed at historically significant locations as part of the Government's Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme, which also include Pearse's Cottage in Ros Muc and the major new visitor attraction at the GPO, which was opened last week. These projects represent significant Government investment in our culture and heritage, ensuring that the 2016 commemorations leave a positive and lasting legacy."

(MH)