"On March 26 1850 the Dublin Evening Post reported that the previous afternoon the Lord Lieutenant was received at the new prison. He 'expressed himself highly gratified with every department'. Mountjoy was ready for prisoners. This book opens the window on Mountjoy's remarkable and often bizarre history. It is an epic story with a cast of over half a million, including staff, petty thieves, vicious murderers and famous figures in Irish history." "This is a unique insight into Ireland's most famous and difficult institution."--BOOK JACKET.