I visited Galway for five days before heading off to Belfast for the remainder of the trip. During my time in Galway, I visited the Galway National Museum to learn about the city's rich history and to see the remains of the torn down prison. There were two new prisons built in Galway during the early 19th century, then merged in the late 19th century. Similar to the other prisons in the country, Galway Gaol held Irish nationalists and other famous inmates during the time that it was open. It closed in 1939 and was torn down for a church to be built, but it still has a lasting impact in the city and the museum aims to showcase that.
While in Belfast, I visited the Crumlin Road Gaol. This historic prison was Belfast's main prison until in closed in 1996. A special feature about this prison was that it was built across the street from a courthouse, so that prisoners could be transported through an underground tunnel to and from court hearings. Not only was this a convenient mode of transport for the prison guards, but it also kept them away from the public's gaze. Another interesting thing that happened in the Crumlin Road Gaol was the political statuses of women that were made aware by the female prisoners. In the early 20th century, when women were not allowed yet to vote, female prisoners would go on hunger strikes to receive political recognition leading to them being force fed. They would be released from prison, but once they regained their health, they were rearrested and sent back to prison. This lasted until women gained the right to vote in the late 1920s. This prison also had several hanging executions, the last one occurring in 1961. Both the Galway Gaol and Crumlin Road Gaol played vital parts in the cities while they were opened and helped shape them into what they are today.
