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Kilmainham and the IMMA

The Royal Hospital's formal gardens, the modern-art museum inside it, the Gaol, and the war memorial by the Liffey.

Photo: Deitel55 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Drafted by Claude — the editor hasn’t walked this one yet. We’ll update this notice once it’s been verified on the ground.

Distance

4.2 km

Time

~ 95 min

Difficulty

Moderate

Start

Heuston (Luas Red Line)

End

Heuston (Luas Red Line)

Best at

afternoon

Right now

20°C· Clear

Open in Maps for turn-by-turn, or take it offline as GPX.

Kilmainham holds the two faces of Irish history side by side: the grandest classical building in the country, full of modern art, and a mile west the prison where the state was born in blood. The walk takes in both, with formal gardens and a war memorial folded in, and the Liffey to bring you home.

Start at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham, a 1684 home for old soldiers built around an arcaded courtyard on the model of Les Invalides — walk into the quadrangle before anything else. The building is now IMMA, the national modern-art museum, free and quietly excellent; the restored formal gardens on the north side are emptier still, and the best place to sit on the whole route.

West along the road stands Kilmainham Gaol, where the 1916 leaders were executed — the heaviest place in modern Ireland, and worth the walk even if the tour is full. Drop down to the Liffey for the War Memorial Gardens, Lutyens' sunken rose gardens for the Irish war dead, then follow the south bank back toward Heuston and the Luas.

The route

On the map.

A soft dashed line, numbered stops. It’s a suggestion, not a turn-by-turn.

Elevation

↑ 72 m·↓ 73 m·4–26 m ASL

Stops along the way

Things to notice.

01
1
Royal Hospital Kilmainham
The grandest 17th-century building in Ireland — a 1684 home for old soldiers, modelled on Les Invalides, built around a vast arcaded courtyard. Walk into the quadrangle first; it's the single best piece of classical architecture in the city and most people miss it entirely.
01
Royal Hospital Kilmainham
The grandest 17th-century building in Ireland — a 1684 home for old soldiers, modelled on Les Invalides, built around a vast arcaded courtyard. Walk into the quadrangle first; it's the single best piece of classical architecture in the city and most people miss it entirely.
02
2
Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA)
The Royal Hospital is now IMMA — Ireland's national collection of modern and contemporary art, in galleries off the old courtyard. Free, ambitious, and rarely crowded. You don't need to know the artists; just go in and let the rooms do the work.
02
Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA)
The Royal Hospital is now IMMA — Ireland's national collection of modern and contemporary art, in galleries off the old courtyard. Free, ambitious, and rarely crowded. You don't need to know the artists; just go in and let the rooms do the work.
03
3
The Formal Gardens
The restored 17th-century formal gardens drop down the north side — clipped box, gravel walks, and a view back at the building's long façade. Almost nobody comes round here. Sit on the terrace wall; it's the quietest spot on the whole walk.
03
The Formal Gardens
The restored 17th-century formal gardens drop down the north side — clipped box, gravel walks, and a view back at the building's long façade. Almost nobody comes round here. Sit on the terrace wall; it's the quietest spot on the whole walk.
04
4
Kilmainham Gaol
West along the road, the prison where the leaders of the 1916 Rising were held and executed — the most charged place in modern Irish history. Tours are guided and book out; even the limestone exterior and the courtyard are worth the walk. Sober, essential.
04
Kilmainham Gaol
West along the road, the prison where the leaders of the 1916 Rising were held and executed — the most charged place in modern Irish history. Tours are guided and book out; even the limestone exterior and the courtyard are worth the walk. Sober, essential.
05
5
Irish National War Memorial Gardens
Down by the Liffey at Islandbridge, Lutyens' great memorial to the Irish dead of the First World War — sunken rose gardens, granite bookrooms, and fountains, laid out 1930s. Long overlooked, beautifully kept. The riverside setting is the reward for the walk down.
05
Irish National War Memorial Gardens
Down by the Liffey at Islandbridge, Lutyens' great memorial to the Irish dead of the First World War — sunken rose gardens, granite bookrooms, and fountains, laid out 1930s. Long overlooked, beautifully kept. The riverside setting is the reward for the walk down.
06
6
The Liffey path back to Heuston
Follow the river east along the quiet south bank toward Heuston station, the great 1846 railway terminus by Sancton Wood. A flat, calm finish with the water on your left. The Luas Red Line at Heuston takes you back into town.
06
The Liffey path back to Heuston
Follow the river east along the quiet south bank toward Heuston station, the great 1846 railway terminus by Sancton Wood. A flat, calm finish with the water on your left. The Luas Red Line at Heuston takes you back into town.

Kilmainham and the IMMA

On the map.

Things to notice.

Royal Hospital Kilmainham

Royal Hospital Kilmainham

Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA)

Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA)

The Formal Gardens

The Formal Gardens

Kilmainham Gaol

Kilmainham Gaol

Irish National War Memorial Gardens

Irish National War Memorial Gardens

The Liffey path back to Heuston

The Liffey path back to Heuston

Two more, on similar days.

Phoenix Park: the monument, the cross and the deer

Parnell Square: the cultural quarter and the Garden of Remembrance