Plea to save the 'sacred' court at Kilmainham Jail
Saturday August 02 2008
THE old courthouse at Kilmainham should be annexed as part of the historic Kilmainham Jail rather than letting it fall into further disrepair, the chair of the museum's board of trustees urged last night.
Damien Cassidy (66), the sole surviving trustee of the museum, said the State should hand the courthouse back to the museum in order to preserve it as an historic landmark.
The courthouse closed its doors on Thursday after a colourful 188-year history that saw some of Ireland's most famous criminals tried and executed in the jail yard next door.
It was one of the oldest functioning courthouses in the country but the State decided to close it rather than renovating it.
However, the Office of Public Works (OPW), which runs the facility, has no definite plans for the building other than to use it for storage.
"We're coming up to the centenary of the 1916 Rising and we need extra exhibition space for the museum. The courtroom must not be touched. It's sacred," he said.
The two-storey court featured the trial of The Invincibles, a republican splinter group, who were responsible for the Phoenix Park murders in the 1880s.
"The Invincibles were found guilty in that courtroom. They were hanged in the jail and buried there," Mr Cassidy said.
Labour party TD Joe Costello, who is a veteran supporter of the jail, agreed that the site should be maintained as part of the museum.
"Kilmainham Jail is now a fabulous museum which is a must see on every tourist's itinerary. Considering the courthouse's association with such historical and political figures as the Invincibles, the Fenians and the 1916 Volunteers, it would be an appropriate project to have it restored and incorporated into the museum complex for the 1916 centenary commemoration in 2016," he said.
- Allison Bray
