Call me macabre, but there’s nothing I like better than wandering around cemeteries. They’re peaceful, interesting and a little creepy at the same time. And Dublin’s Glasnevin Cemetery is one of my favourites! Luckily it’s just across the river and up the road, in the inner suburbs on the north side of the city. Opened in 1832, it now covers an area of around 124 acres, and is the final resting place of 1.5 million of Dublin’s departed. On my most recent visit, I was accompanied by Goth Beastie. She looked strangely at home among the gravestones…
If you’re interested in Irish history, Glasnevin is a must-see. Many of the significant figures from our recent past are buried here, including Daniel O’Connell, whose campaign to allow Catholics to be offered the same right to a dignified funeral as Protestants led to the establishment of this very graveyard! An early-mediaeval style round tower stands on his tomb, and it can be seen from pretty much anywhere in the cemetery – it’s in the background of this photo…
Glasnevin is also home to some beautiful old trees, which line the pathways between the graves…
And there’s such a huge variety of styles in the monuments here, too! There are underground crypts…
…Traditional crosses…
…And some more understated ones. Goth Beastie was particularly taken with this one.
But it wasn’t long before the sun got too high in the sky for certain pale-faced Beastie ladies! There was just time for Goth Beastie to seek out a little cool shade before we headed for home…
How do you feel about graveyards? An interesting place to spend an afternoon, or too spooky for words?
