Glasnevin Cemetery Dublin

Glasnevin Cemetery, which opened in 1832, originally had an area of 9 acres but now has an area of approximately 124 acres.

It holds the graves and memorials of several notable figures, including Daniel O’Connell, Charles Stuart Parnell, Constance Markievicz, Roger Casement, Michael Collins, Eamon de Valera, Arthur Griffith, Maude Gonne, Kevin Barry, Sean McBride, Jeremiah O’Donovan Rossa, Brendan Behan, Christy Brown, and Luke Kelly (of The Dubliners).

The grave of Michael Collins, the nationalist leader who was killed at Beal na mBlath in the Irish Civil War in 1922, is among the most visited sites in Glasnevin. Around him were buried at least 183 soldiers of the Irish Free State.

In 1982, a crematorium was constructed within the cemetery grounds by Glasnevin Trust. Since then, the service has been used for people of various religious denominations who wished to be cremated.

There is a high wall with watch-towers surrounding the main part of the cemetery. It was built to deter bodysnatchers, who were active in Dublin in the 18th and early 19th centuries. The watchmen also had a pack of blood-hounds who roamed the cemetery at night.

Within the cemetery is the Glasnevin Trust Museum. It was opened in 2010. It runs tours, hosts educational groups, and supports genealogists and those studying family history.

Official sites: Glasnevin Museum and: Glasnevin Trust