ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Debtors' Prison Dublin

Debtors' prison in Dublin is a place where some people who borrowed money and were unable to pay it back were sent to live. It's like a special kind of jail for people who owe money.

Normally, when you borrow money from someone, you have to pay it back within a certain period of time. If you cannot pay it back, the person or company you borrowed from can take legal action against you, and if you are found guilty, you will be ordered to pay the money back. If you still can't pay, then you might be sent to debtors' prison.

In debtors' prison, you have to stay until you pay off your debt. Sometimes, people who are sent to debtors' prison are not able to get out even if they could pay off their debt because they cannot afford the cost of living in the prison. It's like being trapped in a cage that you can't get out of.

However, in most countries, including Ireland, debtors' prison has been abolished, which means that people can no longer be sent to prison just because they can't pay their debts. Today, people who owe money and cannot pay are given opportunities to work out payment plans with their creditors or seek other remedies, such as bankruptcy or debt counseling.