Tarbert Bridewell is a chilling reminder of the intolerant judicial regime of impoverished 19th-century Ireland. Here you can follow the case of ‘Thomas Dillon’ charged with wilful trespass. Courtroom drama and genuine settings make for a real experience.
Bridewells were harsh places. The fine for drunkenness was two shillings, but the penalty for sheepstealing was exile to Australia. Tarbert Bridewell hosts a special tribute to local poet Thomas McGreevy, who died in 1967. A director of the National Gallery, he numbered among his friends such notable writers as Beckett, Joyce and Yeats. The French and Italian governments conferred honours on him.
Why not drop in for a cup of tea or coffee with some history?