The building was rebuilt in 1861 and continued to be used as a prison until 1939 at the beginning of the Emergency as World War II was officially known in neutral Ireland.
At approximately 12:45am on the morning of 4 March, the sixty-foot high wall gave way and collapsed onto the adjacent houses of King's Terrace and part of Barker Street killing and injuring some of the occupants as they slept.
It is further believed that additional pressure had been placed on the old jail wall by rain-sodden turf which was being stored in the premises by the army for heating purposes due to the shortage of imported coal.
[3] Crowds assisted local emergency services in removing the heavy rubble, but there was nothing they could do, and nine bodies were pulled from the jail ruins, including a number of children, the youngest being two years old.
Many hundreds attended the funerals over the following days as the city descended into a period of mourning with shops closing and blinds being drawn.