Maybe my parents have been concealing the fact that I’m secretly a long lost member of the Addams Family, but I’m discovering that one of my favorite things to do in a foreign capital is visit a cemetery, and Glasnevin is the cream of the crop. I opted for a guided tour of the grounds and received an Irish history lesson deluxe from Alan, who is seriously one of the best guides I’ve ever had. Honestly, if you visit Glasnevin wait for Alan’s tour time. Everyone wants to talk about the Easter Rising of 1916 and the events that led up to the 1922 treaty that created a semi-free state for (most of) Ireland, but Alan was the first person who really explained what happened between 1922 and 1949, when the nation gained its full indepedence and became the Republic of Ireland. My only regret is that I didn’t make it out to Glasnevin until my final day in Dublin; it really should have been my first stop in the city.
You’ll definitely need to hop on a bus to get to Glasnevin from the city center, so now is as good enough time as any to talk about Dublin’s public transit system. There are two basic types of transport in Dublin: trams and buses. Trams are the simpler of the two options, but with only two tram lines, the destinations reachable are far more limited. There is a red line that runs East-West and a green line that runs North-South through through the center. Tickets can be easily purchased by cash or credit card from kiosk machines at every stop. The price varies by zone, but the machine will calculate the fare for you when you select your final stop.
Buses don’t have kiosk machines at the stops and with hundreds of lines running all over the metro area you have to do a little research before hopping on. Dublin offers its riders the LEAP card, a refillable transit card that costs 5€, to which you then can add any additional amount. If you purchase a LEAP card, simply tap on the sensor and it will deduct the amount automatically; rides that would normally cost 2,85€ by paying the bus driver directly only cost 2,10€ when purchased using the LEAP card. If you don’t want to buy a LEAP card, you can pay the bus driver, but beware that they do not offer any change, so make sure you’re carrying plenty of coins or be prepared to make a small donation to the Dublin transit system! Once again, fares vary by distance traveled, so tell the driver the name of your stop and he or she will tell you the price. The cost out to Glasnevin from the city center is 2,85€ each way. Bus 40 stops across the street from the cemetery’s main gate.
Glasnevin was founded in 1832 by Daniel O’Connell, whose mausoleum on the grounds is the tallest round tower in all of Ireland. O’Connell was a 19th-Century politician who fought tirelessly against the Act of Union, the decree which officially made Ireland a part of Great Britain, and for the rights of Catholics (and all non-Prostestant religions) to have equality under the law. Glasnevin was the first non-denominational cemetery in Ireland and people from 25 different religions have been buried there over the years. Many revolutionary heroes are also buried at Glasnevin, including Charles Parnell, Michael Collins, Countess Markievicz and Éamon de Valera.
Perhaps I’ll take a cue from Alan and take this moment to give a brief background on the Act of Union, Easter Rising, Irish War of Independence, Irish Civil War and eventual formation of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
This history of Ireland is strewn with rebellions against the British, Vikings or some other island invader. After a particularly almost-successful revolt against the Brits in 1798, the British Parliament passed the Act of Union in 1800, which once and for all incorporated Ireland into the United Kingdom.
After a century and change of British oppression, a small group of revolutionaries, led by Patrick Pearse, James Connolly, Joseph Plunkett and Countess Markievicz, organized the Easter Rising of 1916. The Easter Rising’s seeds were actually planted a year previous at Glasnevin, when at the funeral of revolutionary Jeremiah O’Donovan Rossa, Patrick Pearse gave a fiery oration to the thousands in attendance, demanding freedom for Ireland. Peasrse’s speech is the equivalent Patrick Henry’s “Give me liberty or give me death” and The Gettysburg Address rolled into one. The Irish especially are familiar with the famous final line: They think that they have foreseen everything, think that they have provided against everything; but the fools, the fools, the fools! They have left us our Fenian dead, and while Ireland holds these graves, Ireland unfree shall never be at peace.
Patrick Pearse, a simple schoolteacher before giving the speech that would make him a nation hero, was executed less than a year later on May 3, 1916. His memory lives on at Glasnevin, when everyday, rain or shine, at 14:30 an actor dresses up as Pearse, marches to Rossa’s grave and recites the incendiary speech in full. This was spellbinding and an absolute must to experience in Dublin. I was so inspired, you could have given me an Irish flag and signed me up to fight for the cause!
The interesting thing about the Easter Rising is that the general population was not very supportive of the revolt before and during the battle. World War I was raging and this appeared to only be more senseless loss of Irish life. It wasn’t until after the British squashed the Rising six days later and began executing all the leaders that public sentiment turned in favor of the young revolutionaries.
Although the British army was far more powerful and well-coordinated, the Irish rebels, led by Michael Collins and Éamon de Valera, waged a successful guerilla warfare campaign that eventually led to a truce in 1921. Collins went to London to negotiate a treaty for independence, but the document he brought back would tear Ireland apart. Ireland is comprised of 32 counties; 6 counties in the northeast would remain a part of United Kingdom as Northern Ireland, while the other 26 counties would make make up a new semi-autonomous Ireland. The lower 26 would have their own government (more or less), but they would still have to swear allegiance to the British crown. Collins was told that if he didn’t accept this treaty, the British would use all their might to wipe the revolutionaries off the map. The Irish leaders were split down the middle- some like de Valera and Countess Markievicz wanted to keep fighting as Ireland would never be free until all 32 counties were rid of the Brits and united under Irish rule. Collins and his followers wanted to sign the treaty and work towards the same goal through diplomatic channels.
The pro-treaty side won by a slim margin and this set the nation into a bloody civil war. Collins and de Valera, once best friends and co-commanders, were now pitted against each other. Collins was killed during the civil war, along with 10,000 of his countrymen and women.
The Pro-Treaty side ultimately won the civil war and it wasn’t until 1949 that Ireland achieved full independence (the lower 26, that is), and could declare itself The Republic of Ireland. (A major source of present-day political discord is that a large group still believes Ireland is not free and will not be free until it sees reunification with Northern Ireland.)
Éamon de Valera’s tale was far from over though: in 1959, at the age of 75, de Valera was elected President of Ireland. In 1966 he ran for a second term, and at 84 he became the oldest elected head of state, a record he held until 2013. De Valera passed away at the age of 92 and was buried at Glasnevin, not far from his old comrades Countess Markievicz and Michael Collins.
Daniel O’Connell’s mausoleum tower has had a rocky history, having been bombed in 1971 by British loyalists, destroying the staircase taking visitors to the top. For 47 years the tower interior sat in disrepair, but in early 2018 a newly installed staircase was once again open for the public to climb the 55 meters for a bird’s-eye view of the cemetery and greater Dublin City.
If you want to make a whole day out of your trek to Glasnevin, don’t forget to check out the Botanical Gardens, located directly through the back exit of the cemetery. The hothouses feature an impressive collection of orchids, cacti and tropical plants; the greater grounds contain a wide range of native trees and flowering plants.
Despite the ever-present tourist trail in Dublin, Glasnevin has managed to elude the tour buses and selfie-stick wielding crowds. Alan’s tour still is my gold standard, the O’Connell Tower gives you the best views of Dublin and the Patrick Pearse reeactment could give any Broadway actor a run for their money. Unless you’re completely allergic to history, put Glasnevin on your list during a visit to Dublin.
