Prisons in the 1700s were smelly, dismal, rat-infested places. Basic facilities like drinking water were rare. A water pump was sometimes provided in cells, but these were often dry. In some cases, if the convicts asked for water the jailers would give them salt water to drink, which made them ill.
Below is the account of a prison escape that took place in a Cork city prison in 1785.
Account of a Prison Escape, 1785
Prison buildings were often falling apart, which made it easier for convicts to escape. Prison breakouts happened almost weekly, with prisoners usually helped by people on the outside. Click here to learn more about life for prisoners in Cork in the past.