CORK PRISON
THE HISTORY:
From 1983, Cork Prison served the Republic as a centre of detention until 2016 when a new prison opened on the same road to replace it. The old gaol was retired from service primarily because of its ‘archaic and Dickensian’ setup with communal toilets and limited beds, though the new prison’s capacity is only slightly higher at 310 rather than 272. Though these figures may seem minute to what we’re used to in the UK, Ireland’s entire population is barely only five million, making this a reasonably sized prison for the country.
One issue which came with the old facility’s design was the practice of ‘slopping out’ whereby the lack of toilets in cells meant inmates had to excrete in buckets during the night and deposit it in the morning in the communal toilets. While this was noted as an issue in a 2011 report, its impact was relatively minimal compared to other Irish prisons such as HMP Maze, across the border, which faced protests and uprisings fuelled by the 18th century method of cleanliness.
THE EXPLORE:
This one had been cooking for a long time. On a trip to Ireland with [@URBANDONED] we had multiple attempts at this place, beginning on the roof on a bleak morning at 6am. Given the nature of the building we were not expecting a walk in, though this place proved to be more than moderately difficult. Using our wings stashed by the others on a previous visit, Alistair and I ascended the roof at an ungodly hour with the intention of profiting from the element of surprise we had over the noisy and intrigued inmates in the new adjacent prison. After several hours of unsuccessful prowling and pondering we descended the prison walls with feelings of ill-fate and defeat, though our commitment had not concluded. Returning just hours later with a renewed sense of desperation and devoir, the pair of us climbed the prison walls for what became the final time. The time of elation had come; the access route we had theorised about had materialised and our unlikely entrance welcomed us in like the arms of family members would have embraced ex-prisoners leaving the omnipotent walls years before us.
I’ve always been fascinated by prisons in all aspects, from the walls built by humans to incarcerate other humans to the burden placed on the state by the judiciary to support the lives of the people inside, and this place certainly delivered on my enchantment.
Once inside, our primary objective was to get Theo and Alex inside. Completing this task was much harder than expected, and after a walk through the main wing to raise morale we were more than inflamed to get everyone in. Having coordinated through prison walls, Theo and Alex were eventually inside the state facility and we were ready to properly begin the explore.
Cork Prison is like nowhere I’ve explored before. The entire site is left preserved exactly as it would have been when it closed in 2016 and you could feel the history of all the inmates of the past while simply walking down the wing. Each cell contained a double bunk with a noticeboard and no toilet, except for the few cells in Solitary Confinement which naturally only had the one bed.
The prison had the aura and design of a medieval castle.
The whole prison still had full power and appeared totally untouched.
All cells appeared in pretty much the same condition, with this one even containing clothes.
The cells light could be made blue overnight to allow the guards to see into the cells while the inmates sleep.
Each floor above the ground had a metal anti-suicide grid as opposed to the netted ones featured in most UK prisons.
The second floor featured the Guards’ office.
Posters presumably designed by well-behaved inmates were plastered around the toilets to promote good behaviour.
The majority of the second wing did not have power.
A cell on the secondary wing.
All prisoners used shared toilets at the end of each wing.
The showers block gave the inmates little privacy, with a desk for the guards facing each one.
The decay in the showers block was superior to any other section, with moss growing all over the floors and ceilings.
There was no shortage of surveillance.
Signs dotted around the main visitation room strictly instructed female visitors on how to behave around the male prisoners.
Another visitation area, this time with plastic screens separating the visitors and the inmates.
The exercise/sports hall was very decaying and water damaged.
Telephones for the prisoners were found at the back of the sports hall.
The gym also featured a prayer room.
To support online trials/appeals, there was a virtual courtroom for inmates either serving sentence or on remand.
Solitary Confinement was hidden away in a distant part of the prison to highlight their separation from ordinary inmates.
The Solitary Confinement rooms were far more stripped than any other part of the prison.
This room was the closest the prison had to a padded cell; the walls were all very spongey to prevent inmates from self-harming.
Another visitation room, this one much more open and less secure.
The admin rooms above the courtyard entrance were much more ornately decorated than the rest of the prison.
An admin building outside the main wing was relatively empty but entirely full of pigeons.
Of all the places I’ve ever explored, Cork Prison will certainly be one which sticks with me. From the mission to get in to the sheer history of the place, it takes a very high spot in my repertoire and will certainly never be forgotten.
THE HISTORY:
From 1983, Cork Prison served the Republic as a centre of detention until 2016 when a new prison opened on the same road to replace it. The old gaol was retired from service primarily because of its ‘archaic and Dickensian’ setup with communal toilets and limited beds, though the new prison’s capacity is only slightly higher at 310 rather than 272. Though these figures may seem minute to what we’re used to in the UK, Ireland’s entire population is barely only five million, making this a reasonably sized prison for the country.
One issue which came with the old facility’s design was the practice of ‘slopping out’ whereby the lack of toilets in cells meant inmates had to excrete in buckets during the night and deposit it in the morning in the communal toilets. While this was noted as an issue in a 2011 report, its impact was relatively minimal compared to other Irish prisons such as HMP Maze, across the border, which faced protests and uprisings fuelled by the 18th century method of cleanliness.
THE EXPLORE:
This one had been cooking for a long time. On a trip to Ireland with [@URBANDONED] we had multiple attempts at this place, beginning on the roof on a bleak morning at 6am. Given the nature of the building we were not expecting a walk in, though this place proved to be more than moderately difficult. Using our wings stashed by the others on a previous visit, Alistair and I ascended the roof at an ungodly hour with the intention of profiting from the element of surprise we had over the noisy and intrigued inmates in the new adjacent prison. After several hours of unsuccessful prowling and pondering we descended the prison walls with feelings of ill-fate and defeat, though our commitment had not concluded. Returning just hours later with a renewed sense of desperation and devoir, the pair of us climbed the prison walls for what became the final time. The time of elation had come; the access route we had theorised about had materialised and our unlikely entrance welcomed us in like the arms of family members would have embraced ex-prisoners leaving the omnipotent walls years before us.
I’ve always been fascinated by prisons in all aspects, from the walls built by humans to incarcerate other humans to the burden placed on the state by the judiciary to support the lives of the people inside, and this place certainly delivered on my enchantment.
Once inside, our primary objective was to get Theo and Alex inside. Completing this task was much harder than expected, and after a walk through the main wing to raise morale we were more than inflamed to get everyone in. Having coordinated through prison walls, Theo and Alex were eventually inside the state facility and we were ready to properly begin the explore.
Cork Prison is like nowhere I’ve explored before. The entire site is left preserved exactly as it would have been when it closed in 2016 and you could feel the history of all the inmates of the past while simply walking down the wing. Each cell contained a double bunk with a noticeboard and no toilet, except for the few cells in Solitary Confinement which naturally only had the one bed.
The prison had the aura and design of a medieval castle.
The whole prison still had full power and appeared totally untouched.
All cells appeared in pretty much the same condition, with this one even containing clothes.
The cells light could be made blue overnight to allow the guards to see into the cells while the inmates sleep.
Each floor above the ground had a metal anti-suicide grid as opposed to the netted ones featured in most UK prisons.
The second floor featured the Guards’ office.
Posters presumably designed by well-behaved inmates were plastered around the toilets to promote good behaviour.
The majority of the second wing did not have power.
A cell on the secondary wing.
All prisoners used shared toilets at the end of each wing.
The showers block gave the inmates little privacy, with a desk for the guards facing each one.
The decay in the showers block was superior to any other section, with moss growing all over the floors and ceilings.
There was no shortage of surveillance.
Signs dotted around the main visitation room strictly instructed female visitors on how to behave around the male prisoners.
Another visitation area, this time with plastic screens separating the visitors and the inmates.
The exercise/sports hall was very decaying and water damaged.
Telephones for the prisoners were found at the back of the sports hall.
The gym also featured a prayer room.
To support online trials/appeals, there was a virtual courtroom for inmates either serving sentence or on remand.
Solitary Confinement was hidden away in a distant part of the prison to highlight their separation from ordinary inmates.
The Solitary Confinement rooms were far more stripped than any other part of the prison.
This room was the closest the prison had to a padded cell; the walls were all very spongey to prevent inmates from self-harming.
Another visitation room, this one much more open and less secure.
The admin rooms above the courtyard entrance were much more ornately decorated than the rest of the prison.
An admin building outside the main wing was relatively empty but entirely full of pigeons.
Of all the places I’ve ever explored, Cork Prison will certainly be one which sticks with me. From the mission to get in to the sheer history of the place, it takes a very high spot in my repertoire and will certainly never be forgotten.
