Samiksha Jaiswal (Editor)

The Marshalsea, Dublin

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Status
  
defunct

Population
  
debtors

Location
  
near the rear of Bridgefoot Street, Dublin

The Marshalsea, Dublin (the City Marshalsea) was a debtor's prison located at the rear of Bridgefoot St. in Dublin, Ireland.

That name was derived from the prison at Southwark, belonging to the Marshal of the King's Household, which closed in 1842.

After the closure of The Black Dog prison in 1794 the City Marshalsea was considered the worst prison in the city. It was run privately for profit. Families of prisoners could also reside there, to protect them from their creditors. In 1802 a report from the Committee on City Leases stated that the City Marshalsea had become so ruinous and insecure that a new one was absolutely necessary.

In 1803 Robert Emmet used the Marshalsea as an arsenal, while the Dublin Militia used it as a barracks in the later 19th century.

It stood empty for some years before its demolition in 1975. Some of the stone went to repair the City wall at Cook Street.

References

The Marshalsea, Dublin Wikipedia