Crumlin Road Gaol

Places to See | Belfast, Northern Ireland.

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Crumlin Road Gaol is a former prison situated in North Belfast, Northern Ireland. Designed by Sir Charles Lanyon, the Gaol was built between 1843 and 1845 it is the only Victorian era prison remaining in Northern Ireland and was one of the most advanced prisons of its day.

On March 31, 1996 the Governor of Belfast’s Crumlin Road Gaol walked out of the fortified prison and the heavy air-lock gates slammed shut for the final time. The closure ended a 150-year history of imprisonment, conflict and executions.

Built within a five-sided walled site, the gaol had four wings fanning from a central area known as The Circle. The Grade A listed building is part of the social fabric of the city and the first inmates, who were forced to walk from Carrickfergus Prison in chains, arrived in 1846.

These days, the Gaol is a popular visitor attraction in Belfast and has become one of the more popular of the museums and galleries in Northern Ireland.

Address: Crumlin Road Gaol, 53-55 Crumlin Road, Belfast Northern Ireland

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