The restored cell at Kilmainham Gaol where Robert Emmet was held before being executed is officially opened.
Marking the bicentenary of nationalist and rebel leader Robert Emmet's birth, Minister for Finance George Colley opens the restored cell at Kilmainham Gaol in Dublin. Robert Emmet spent his last night in this cell before he was executed in 1803.
The tragic beheading of the 25 year old Emmet for his part in the abortive insurrection has endeared him to later generations.
The restoration work was complete by the Robert Emmet Society. On display in the cell are mementos of Robert Emmet, including the beheading block and his death mask.
A memorial is to be erected at the site on Thomas Street where Robert Emmet was executed.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 26 February 1978. The reporter is George Devlin.
