Donnybrook Cemetery brought back into use after nearly 150 years
The historic Donnybrook Cemetery is being brought back to life as a modern resting place after nearly 150 years of inactivity.
Labour Councillor Dermot Lacey joked at the South East Area Committee: “I think my wife has already bought me a plot somewhere else” after learning plans he suggested back in 2007 were at last coming to fruition. The graveyard, where Rotunda Hospital founder Bartholomew Mosse and architect of the Irish Parliament Sir Edward Lovett Pearce were laid to rest, has been out of use, with the exception of some burial rights, since 1880.
The Donnybrook Graveyard Project was outlined by Executive Landscape Architect Christina Todd who explained they have installed Columbarium Walls made of granite and Kilkenny blue limestone structures where people can buy a small ‘niche’ (an above ground compartment) to hold the ashes of their loved ones. There are 168 slots available, which cannot be purchased in advance and will be sold online through a funeral director after someone passes away.
Priority is afforded to local residents. Dublin City Council has outlined fees for a single (€1,500), double (€3,000), and quadruple (€4,500), excluding VAT and other costs associated with the funeral director.
As a pilot project aimed at utilising the heritage potential of unused graveyards around the city, Ms Todd said potential further locations include St. John the Baptist Graveyard in Clontarf and Bluebell Cemetery. There’s also the potential for more Columbarium Walls at Donnybrook, subject to approval.
Conservation works as part of the project were possible due to a grant of €85,000 from the Community Monuments Fund (CMF). Ms Todd explained this funded an integrated design team, conservation architect, conservation engineer and archaeologist to ensure the safety of the site's boundaries.
The Columbarium Wall project received Part 8 planning approval in 2022 and required Ministerial Consent due to the site’s status as a National Monument. Independent Cllr Mannix Flynn welcomed the project's development and thanked Cllr Lacey for highlighting the issue years before and ensuring the site did not continue to fall into “disarray and disregard”.
Cllr Flynn stressed the importance of making use of sites rich in heritage and said this can act as an opportunity to encourage public engagement with its history. He suggests walking tours or a publication of the graveyard's history from local libraries.
“There’s no point having these interesting and curious places if the public aren’t made aware. It’s in a very significant part of the city that’s undergoing huge development. These little oases need to be protected and maintained,” he said.
Ms Todd agreed there is potential to highlight the heritage of the site and said audio tours at other graveyards have been successful. She also said walking tours could be a viable option in the future.
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