Prison in Mullingar

In 1542 a a county gaol (WM019-089007-) was constructed in the town of Mullingar on the site of the Dominican friary (WM019-089004-) (Andrews and Davies 1992, 10). This 16th century gaol was replaced by a new gaol at a different location in the second half of the 17th century. In 1682 Sir Henry Piers recorded that in the town of Mullingar (WM019-089----) there ‘is a new gaol (WM019-089007-) built on the county’s cost, for the old one was very weak; the old session house also, being very narrow and inconvenient in all respects, a new one is a framing, very large and spacious according to the modes of modern architecture’ (Vallancey 1786, 78). This late 17th century 'new gaol' may have been built on the site of the Greville Arms Hotel located on the S side of Pearse St. (Andrews and Davies 1992, 10). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 01 July 2014