Kilmainham Gaol, Dublin

A former prison where many leaders of Ireland's struggle for independence were held, and where the leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising were executed in the stone-breakers' yard. The guided tour tells the story of Irish history through its prisoners, including the Victorian east wing, a vast, light-filled hall of cells used in many films.

Tours are by guided visit only and often sell out; book online well ahead. It's about 3 km west of the city centre, near the Irish Museum of Modern Art.