Minister Appeals To Kilmainham Jail Restoration Society
Minister of State Simon Harris TD launched an appeal that workers from the Kilmainham Jail Restoration Society that was formed 50 years ago to come forward.
“We want as many people as possible who were involved in the restoration works to come forward. These people worked tirelessly for many years on an unpaid basis so that the Gaol could be saved from total decay and it is our intention that their effort will be recognised publicly during 2016,” the Minister Harris said.
“What we would like essentially is for people to simple give us their name and contact details and to state roughly when they attended at the Gaol restoration. We have a considerable amount of information already in the Gaol Archives but we would also like to fill in some of the gaps that are undoubtedly there and identify all the workers ahead of the centenary next year. We will also be publishing this call to the former volunteers on various websites and social media sites associated with the Gaol, but I would very much appreciate the media helping us with this effort in getting the message out.”
In 1960, the Kilmainham Jail Restoration Society started work on the old Kilmainham Gaol that had been falling apart ever since it closed in the late 20’s. It was changed into a museum in 1966 and opened by President Eamon de Valera to collaborate with the 50th anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising.
The building was declared a National Monument in 1986 and was handed over to the Office of Public Works and is now one of the most popular heritage sites here in Dublin 8. It is visited by nearly 330,000 visitors a year.
Speaking at the launch Damien Cassidy the Chairman of the Kilmainham Gaol Board of Visitors said, “We hope to mark the contribution of the many hundreds of people who helped with the voluntary effort over the years. A number of our old colleagues still visit the Gaol and are proud to see what they have achieved. However, we have also lost track of many of the workers over the years and some have sadly passed away.”
He also continued saying, “We are very anxious therefore to gather a full record of all the people who took part before the memory of what they achieved fades away. The first step will be to launch a public appeal to ask people who were involved to come forward and identify themselves to us and provide us with their contact details. We would also appeal to family members of deceased colleagues to also come forward and tell us their stories. We will be glad to hear from anyone who can help us compile the full record.”
In the 1950’s there were discussions that the Gaol might have to be demolished but a young engineer called Lorcan C. G Leonard and some nationalists formed the Kilmainham Jail Restoration Society and started repairs on the building. The museum would concentrate on national struggle rather than the events leading up to and connected with the Civil War period.
The Society enjoyed support from the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, Dublin Corporation, The National Graves Association, The Old IRA Literary and Debating Society and the De Valera government.
In the keys of the old prison was handed over to a board of trustees nominated by the society and the government, and it was agreed that the trustees would pay one penny per year for five years before it would be put into the trustees’ care for good. In May 1960 the society started clearing the overgrown vegetation, trees, fallen masonry and bird droppings from the site with the help of sixty volunteers.
Former Restoration workers or family members of former workers who wish to come forward and have their contribution recognised should email: kilmainhamgaolworkers@opw.ie. Workers can also write to Kilmainham Gaol Museum (Archive Section – Voluntary Workers Project), Inchicore Road, Kilmainham, Dublin 8 before the 13th December 2015.
