Glasnevin Cemetery

My expectations were vastly exceeded by Glasnevin Cemetery. I had expected to just walk around but ended up doing the new audio tour (recommended!) and having a look at the small but very interesting museum too. Brilliant way to spend a few hours in Dublin. The only thing to say is that the audio tour focuses on some of the most well known graves but there are plenty of others that are worth visiting and paying respects to, so factor in time to have a self guided wander as well.

Overall, a great experience! The tour was full of very important information on Ireland’s history and I learned a lot! Unfortunately, our tour went 30 min over the allotted time and our guide gave too many details. It was honestly hard to keep track of the context and even though we paid for the tower, we didn’t do it since we were too far past sunlight for it. But that said, recommend for a robust tour!

You can feel the weight of history as you walk amongst the tombstones, but I felt a great peace and comfort. Such celebration of life. The gift shop and mini museum with interactive displays up and downstairs really add to the cemetery, keeping those buried here alive, forever.

The cemetery is stunning and huge. It contains lots of ornately carved gravestones and is the burial place of many notable figures in Dublin and Ireland's history. It is free to enter. It has a well stocked shop, a cafe and toilets. There is also a museum, though you have to pay to visit. There are tours offered and lots of interesting information is presented. The tours can make it difficult to get down some of the paths or view some of the graves. The cemetery is mostly accessible to people who use a wheelchair. There is an area that requires the use of stairs, and you do need to stick to the paths, but you can see a lot. You can access the Botanical Gardens from the cemetery if you want to extend your visit.

The cemetery is beautiful. The Irish grave tour is fantastic, very informative and moving.

Absolutely Huge and the largest 19th century cemetery in Ireland with 1.5 mil+ burials ,which is the resting place of most number of Irish political leaders , historians, barons, Industrialists ,Art & Culture figures . The Necrology wall to commemorate mass deaths, the round tower which is the tallest in Ireland , watch towers across the wall to prevent snatching of bodies sold to med schools, the museum, Enchanting rose Garden, walls , graves of different sects, religious leaders from Catholic & Protestants as this was the only cemetery at that time for all sects, There are multiple guided tours , pamphlets which shows important burials including Eamondevalera, parnell, Michael Collins, Parnell, Constance, Luke Kelly and many more. Glasnevin is a living testament to humanity

Well worth a visit, you can spend all day there, steeped in history… Well kept and well maintained.. the guided tour is worth every penny, it would take you all day to go around the Cemetery, and if you get peckish there is a great Cafe/Restaurant right beside the Micheal Collins Memorial Grave… Enjoy Eire Go Bragh 🇮🇪

Amazing, words can't describe how i enjoyed this place. Also i recommend a small souvenire store:)

A beautiful cemetery, with so much history. You absolutely must come here. I was very happy and would come again.

We visited this as part of the Rick Steves Heart of Ireland tour - learned a lot about key figures that were buried here (in fact more buried here 1.5m than the living population of 1.4m). If you can get a drive over or have it as part of a group packaged then please go!

Cemeteries may seem like a macabre place to tour, but there is often so much history to discover, not to mention the ornate architecture involved in the memorials dedicated to those who have passed. This is the largest cemetery in all of Dublin and I was awestruck by the ornate memorials held within. I just LOVED being able to view all of these old and ornate headstones and memorials. Pictures, nor words can possibly do it justice. The "General History Tour" or the "Dead Interesting Tour" are both €13.50 per adult (read details about the tours on their website). You can climb to the top of the O'Connel Tower for an additional €9.20 per adult. But WAIT! That's not all folks! If you have the Dublin City Pass, you can choose one of the two tours for FREE and then add the climb to the top of the O'Connel Tower for a discounted price of €7. There are quite a few of the executed rebels from the 1916 Easter Rebellion buried here, so the place is packed full of history for you history buffs. Unfortunately, we arrived after the last guided tour, so we were relegated to checking out their audio devices (for free with the Dublin City Pass) which kind of guided us around the cemetery and would tell us a little history about the person in each gravesite. We tried doing this for a little while, but the place is so huge, and not marked very well, and the maps aren't very useful either. We found a couple of the spots and listened to anecdotes, but we both agreed that it would have been much better if we had gotten there in time for their guided tour. So, we ended up putting the headsets away, and just wandered around enjoying the beautiful architecture. There's also a museum at the entrance that gives a bit of history, also a cafe located next door. The young people running the museum and entrance area were very polite, helpful, and courteous. They were able to give us advice on what to do and where to do. They were very patient, and I truly appreciate that. In summary, if you just want to walk around and explore on your own, it's fun. But if you're craving more history about the cemetery and the people resting here, get there on time for a guided tour. I think it is more than worth it!

I didn't know much anything about Irish history, but after some lessons from our tour guide, I soon learned the names of Michael Collins and Daniel O'Connell. Both of them are buried here at Glasnevin. It's a beautiful Victorian Garden style cemetery that covers 124 acres. Our tour was conducted by an engaging young lady by the name of Katie and she was such a pleasure to be around. She wove the history of Ireland, Dublin, the freedom movement, the social and political forces of the region, and the life stories of Irish patriots into a fascinating presentation. Combine all of that with the physical beauty of the grounds and you have one impressive visit. By the way, legend has it that if you touch Daniel O'Connell's coffin (which you can through holes in the tomb), you will receive good luck. Just saying....

So glad I booked this tour! We had watched 1 Million Dubliners- a truly fascinating documentary about the cemetery. After watching that, I knew we had to visit here ourselves. Our tour was at 11:30- so we took a cab to the botanic gardens next door at 9am (when they open) and spent some time there until our tour. There's a way into the cemetery through the gardens- or you can be dropped off at the reception area. You've got a bit of a walk (about 1/4 mile) if you come in through the botanic garden gate- near the botanic garden reception. We had an historical tour- visiting the graves of the 1916 dead, Daniel O'Connell, Michael Collins, and the "forgotten dead"- patriots who were reburied in Glasnevin after having been buried at Mountjoy prison. O'Donovan Rossa lies here, and Eamon de Valera- with his family. We saw many other people too- I wish I could remember all of them- they've all got such interesting stories. I love that they bring teens here for the tour, and then ask them to return and give one of the tour stops- so they learn their history AND they learn to speak in front of others. It's a very moving tour, but history is often sad- on the way to becoming better. So take the tour, and understand the sadness that is passed, and thank these men and women under the soil for laying the groundwork of the Ireland we see today. Should you wish to take the tour in the Irish language, get a group of 10 friends together (or more) and book in advance. There are also tours catering to special interests- medical, literary, scientific, etc- inquire at Glasnevin and I'm sure they'll help you. There's a lovely little cafe, free wifi! and a gift shop- to make your stay perfect. Perhaps you can tell I'm a big fan of this place. Honestly, I'd like to be buried here.

Niall was our guide when we took the tour on a cloudy and occasionally rainy day in July. It was a fun and fantastic tour. We followed him around as he told us interesting and fascinating anecdotes about some of the different residents of Glasnevin. The tour was maybe an hour long, more or less. I didn't keep track of time because it was so interesting. The cemetery grounds itself was really well kept and organized well. The cemetery also has a cafe and museum. There's quite a bit of interesting displays in the museum and a must-see if you're going to be there anyway. I also paid the extra €5 to climb the 198 steps up O'Connell's tower. There are four windows up there where you can get some excellent views of the area. It was well worth it even on an overcast day. Glasnevin should be a stop on your tour of Dublin landmarks. You don't have to do a guided tour but the guides know all the stories and really make the visit worthwhile.

Wonderfully picturesque is not something you usually hear when discussing a cemetery. But Glasnevin, much like Buenos Aires' Recoletta Cemetery, is a beautiful example of statuary, history and prose. I would definitely suggest hiring a tour guide to give you some interesting background, point out the most historically relevant graves, as well as point you in the direction of some other beautiful examples. Still in use to this day, don't be surprised if your meanderings are interrupted by an actual burial. Be respectful!

I'm a cemetery afficiando. I go to cemeteries almost everywhere I travel. I believe you can learn a lot about a country and people by visiting their cemeteries. This is a FIVE STAR cemetery. Hmm it's kind of odd writing that but I digress.... Beautifully maintained, beautiful crypts and tombs. Please note, this is still an active graveyard and as with all graveyards (active or otherwise), please do be respectful. You can spend HOURS here. We only spent one hour and I know we only saw a tiny fraction of the beauty this place has to offer. It also has a nice little cafe on site, which we visited. Decent coffee, clean restroom facilities. I did not visit the museum so I can not offer any insight to that. Make sure to see the arch bishop tombs up near the 'front' (in front of the museum). Stunning. I will definitely visit this graveyard again, because I MUST visit Ireland again!! Once you are done walking around the area, go to the pub (John Kavanaugh's) right next to the graveyard and get their stew, it is delicious. :)

If you are planning a visit to Dublin, Ireland. It is paramount that you visit Glasnevin Cemetery before leaving the City. I highly recommended arriving early in the day and immediately purchase your tickets for the tour in the Visitors Center. These Tickets give you access to the Museum Exhibits in the visitors center. The visitors center staff are so very professional and helpful. They also have experts on standby if you are doing genealogy research. You can purchase gifts in the Visitor's Center and also enjoy refreshments at the Cafe. I had planned for many years to visit the Museum and take the tour of Glasnevin. I had actually seen the tour featured in an amazing documentary called One Million Dubliners. The documentary discussed the day to day operations of Glasnevin and featured the tours. I watched it on DVD that was sent to me from a family friend back in Dublin, Ireland. After watching A Million Dubliners I could not wait to visit the Visitors Center and take the tour. I have being to Glasnevin Cemetery so many times in my life due to a lot of own family being there. Well my journey to Ireland this past March was a powerful one due to my Family bringing my Dad's Ashes back to Ireland to buried at Glasnevin. The Glasnevin Trust were absolutely amazing and so professional in taking care of our family. I personally took the tour of Glasnevin the day before my Dad's ashes were buried at our family plot. I arrived to the Glasnevin Visitors Center early in the afternoon and immediately purchased my ticket for the tour. I was informed by the staff that my ticket covered me to visit the Museum Exhibits that are located upstairs and in the basement of the building. Once I purchased my tickets I went to the Cafe. The Cafe was absolutely amazing. I purchased a Cappuccino and a slice of cake. Also they offer free WiFi Internet Access. I ended up touring the exhibits and I was so impressed with the attention to detail. When it was time for my tour I immediately went to the desk and met other visitors that were taking the tour. Our tour guide arrived on time and his name was Aerial O'Connell. He was so professional and passionate about his job. You could tell he really loved history and taking care of the visitors. We set out on our tour and even got to hear a Reenact-or that portrayed Jeremiah O'Donovan whom was a key participant in Ireland's fight for Independence. We toured quite a lot of graves of people who contributed to the foundation of Ireland and got to hear about the history of Glasnevin. It would go with out saying that the tour ended at the Grave Of Michael Collins. I was so on top of the world after taking the tour due to waiting many years to take it. I ended my day by purchasing an other cappuccino at the cafe. Lastly I ended back up at Glasnevin Cemetery to bury my Dad's ashes. One of the staff members immediately recognized me from the day before and gave me a huge hello. The Staff at Glasnevin are incredible and so professional . I highly recommended taking the time to visit Glasnevin and take the tour of this amazing cemetery. Glasnevin Cemetery rates ten stars and more ! I definitely will be returning to Glasnevin upon my next visit to Ireland.

God's curse on you, England, you cruel-hearted monster Your deeds they would shame all the devils in hell There are no flowers blooming but the shamrock is growing Tiocfaidh ár lá

After living in Dublin for 8 months, we decided to be "tourists". We got up early on brisk Saturday morning and trekked out to Glasnevin Cemetery (actually only about a 45 min walk from city centre). What a wonderful experience! Our guide, Niall, was enthusiastic and incredibly engaging, even sharing some of his own family history in the mix of the rich history of Glasnevin and, being ultimately intertwined, Ireland. I can't recommend this tour enough for anyone who hasn't done it. Centuries of history over 100+ acres involving some of the most important figures in Ireland on a 90-minute tour for €12... well worth it.

An afternoon well spent in this hauntingly gorgeous cemetery, with our fantastic tour guide Paddy, who made for one lively tour! It's so large and there's so much to appreciate I would definitely go back and bring friends and family to experience it. Knowing very little of Irish history I found Glasnevin to be a very enjoyable Cliff's Notes of sorts, perfect for anyone interested in learning about some of the most important and famous individuals of Ireland and their legacy. A headstone can give you dates, a tour guide can tell you a story. Hearing about the history and accomplishments of the individuals immortalized here is the only way to truly appreciate this cemetery, and even if tours are not something you usually do (I definitely fit under this category) I highly recommend this one, especially if you get Paddy as your guide. A history lesson made fun and memorable by a man who knows his stuff, and has plenty of wit to spare. Be prepared to enjoy yourself and laugh in a cemetery! Cheers to Paddy & Yelp for a great day spent in an otherwise somber place!

I'm sorry to say that it took a Yelp event for me to visit here but I am so so glad they arranged this. Thank you Yelp for a BRILLIANT Saturday afternoon! Our tour guide Paddy was just a perfect orator. He was (is!) knowledgable, v v witty and just captivating. I don't even know where to begin with the stories or new Dublin nuggets I learned today. You are best off booking the tour otherwise who knows if you'd ever find half of the historically prominent graves like we visited today under the careful guidance of Paddy. Highlights for me were the simple headstone of C.S.Parnell, the reenactment of Patrick Pearse's speech at the graveside of Jeremiah O'Donovan Rossa (try do the 2:30pm tour so you don't miss this) and visiting the tomb of Daniel O'Connell (and his family!) - this is under the v prominent round tower and the view from below ground looking up almost 190 feet (I think) is nothing short of spectacular. We were also shown the grave of DeValera. He had a massive four flowers on his grave!! Of course the tour wouldn't have been complete without seeing where Michael Collins is laid to rest... One of the last stops was the grave of the famous Irish writer, Brendan Behan before a visit to the very first grave. The best way to finish off such a brilliant tour?! With a "jar" at The Gravediggers pub of course - the cemetery is there since 1832 & the pub since 1833!! This is an absolute "must do" in Dublin for tourists and Dubliners alike - you just might learn something :)

Number one reason you should check this place out, People are dying to get in since 1832....baah bump bump drum roll please. Ok but seriously this is one of the most interesting cemeteries I have visited. The museum and tours do a wonderful job portraying Dublins History and all of the impacting people who led a fascinating life. Dublin has dedicated a ton of time and money in preserving these sacred grounds. And now that I look back on my visit I am probably a total asshole for smoking a cigar here. Great place to take photos of beautiful ornate celtic tombstones and statues. they do have and adorable cafe serving up breakfast and lunch. And whats cool about this cemetery is they offer online genealogy for conducting any family tree or historical research! Must see while visiting the Dublin Land

Where would you go on Valentine's Day? Nothing says romantic like a cemetery, right? We thought so, and went along one of the guided tours on that cold February morning. First of all, Glasnevin will impress you by its sheer size. Stretching for acres of land filled with graves, it's now the place of rest for roughly the same number of people as there are people living in Dublin. Headstones old and new make it an eerily beautiful place, especially if you are one to appreciate typography or architecture. Closer to the visitor's centre and museum, you'll find the most famous buildings, where of course are buried some of the most famous people in Irish history. We started the tour just outside the museum, our guide was witty without being disrespectful. We followed him around on what was truly a walk through Dublin's and Ireland's recent past, sometimes sad but punctuated by humour and even love stories. It was Valentine's Day after all, as you could attest by Michael Collin's grave covered in flowers, postcards and heart-shaped red balloons. It's a bit unusual, but I'd put this up as one of the best places to visit in this city, it's an equally powerful, entertaining and informative experience. On a related note, make sure to watch the "One Million Dubliners" documentary, you can even buy it at the souvenir shop. Tip: At the time, it was slightly cheaper to buy the tickets online beforehand. So check that!

What an amazing way to spend an afternoon, taking a walk through history with the fine Paddy leading the way! I am completely mesmerised and will need a second, possibly third trip to absorb everything Glasnevin has to offer! What a gem. If Dublin were a crown then this cemetery is the crowning jewel! I finally got to see O'Connells tower and to my delight we were informed that the stairs are to be refitted in the next few months!!! I can't wait til my next visit!!

This graveyard is a hidden gem and deservedly part of the most interesting lesser known sights of Dublin, not only because are there more Dubliners buried here than are currently living in the city. Some of those who found their final resting place in Glasnevin are amongst the most important historical figures of Ireland - "The Liberator" Daniel O'Connell (who incidentally founded the cemetery), Parnell, de Valera and Michael Collins. While visiting graveyards may be seen as a very morbid way to spend a vacation, Glasnevin is a special place - not only was the foundation of this non-Anglican cemetery an important part of the fight for Catholic emancipation, "The Liberator" himself is even buried here. A massive (though fake) round tower marks Daniel O'Connell's grave. Nearby a simple (but huge) boulder highlights Charles Stewart Parnell's last resting place. Originally this was a mass grave for paupers ... the poor are all but forgotten today. Glasnevin Cemetery is the final resting place for over 1.1 million people. I had to go back several times to see the majority of the plots I wanted to see: Roger Casement, Michael Collins, John DeVoy, Luke Kelly, Countess Markievicz; just to mention a few. It is a peaceful and beautiful place, you won't regret it. It inspired me to visit Milltown Cemetery in Belfast.

Whenever I need to feel inspired I take a stroll through this crowed graveyard. This is because without doubt the graveyard is the last resting place of Ireland's V.I.P's. Eamon de Valera, Micheal Collins, Daniel O'Connell, Charles Stewart Parnell, Brendan Behan, Maude Gonne and many more. It's full of interesting headstones and fascinating history and it's just a short bus ride for the city centre or you could easily walk there. If you are interested in Irish history than this is a wonderful spot to wander around. There is a power atmosphere to the place as it is home to so many astounding lives.

This is where I recommend any visitors to the city must go if they're looking for something both authentic (no fiddle-de-de Leprechaun exhibits here) and very interesting. There's a funky little museum tucked away by the entrance - and in the good weather, there's a great (free) walk between the cemetery itself and the adjacent botanic gardens. Do bear in mind, it is a functioning grave yard and be respectful. The huge cemetery boasts an absolutely fantastic walking tour, complete with in costume performer reciting speeches, jokes and lots of historical titbits. Also, stop by the Grave Diggers pub after to complete your experience!

The long overdue visit to this gem of a cemetery was made perfect by our guide Paddy who is not only extremely knowledgeable but also very entertaining. If only my history teacher in school would've had half of his charms... I highly recommend a trip with a tour to Glasnevin to everyone. You learn a bit about Irish history including a speech re-enactment given by Patrick Pearse at O'Donovan Rossa's funeral. To fully enjoy the massive grounds, make sure you are not pressed for time!

Entering from the last gate into the car park, I couldn't figure out where the museum was (and it's not sign posted) so I saw a tour in progress and thought we might slyly join in. The guide spotted us in a nanosecond and informed us that hers was a "private tour." I asked her where to pick up the tours and then followed her directions to the gift shop. Once inside the gift shop, I asked about the length of the tours for commoners and was told it was "about an hour and a half." Ugh! Try doing that with a motley crew of children -- one of us was sure to end up interred there by the end of the day. Sensing my hesitation, the kind staffer suggested that I purchase the map for the self guided tour for 3.50 Euro -- which I did. The problem is that even with the map, I had a hard time finding any of the interesting graves. Obviously these people aren't afraid to make some money off of the dead -- so why are they so shy about showing where the good graves are? Pros: Well manicured cemetery with lots of people working hard to keep it looking nice. Staffers in the gift shop and café are very friendly and helpful. Food in the café actually looked yummy -- although we didn't actually try it. Cons: Even with the aforementioned 3.50 euro map, noteworthy graves are really hard to find. Tours are too long for children and people with short attention spans!

On a gloriously sunny day in Dublin I set out to visit this cemetery (alongside the Botanical Gardens) to get a glimpse of the historical graves and beauty around. The cemetery is a peaceful, well maintained area with good access to a visitors centre and coffee shop for visitors. My only negative about this place was the lack of clear directions to graves of persons of interest. There was a map that could be purchased within the visitor shop but to be honest this was quite unclear and only specified general locations within the cemetery. There was still a lot of walking around and asking people to find certain people. I appreciate this is a strange request (especially in a cemetery!) but as this is a historical burial ground with people visiting for that one purpose sometimes, I would like to think this is important. Didn't take the tour on this occasion but will take advantage next time - maybe thats the way to see the ones I wanted!

This review is not about to go to the cemetery to bury a relative or a friend, it is about the historical guided tour in Glasnevin Cemetery, the place where the ancestors of the Irish Nation rest. It is a great tour, delightfully organized and with a great tour guides showing and explaining all the history of this mystical place. In my tour the guide was Paddy, a great orator, with a singular combination of serious and funny aspects of the history: the perfect tour guide that makes the event more enjoyable. Paddy showed us the thumbs of most the important people buried in Glasnevin, politicians, writers, business owners. He didn't forget some funny anecdotes like the funny epitaphs on same graves, my favorite "I told you I was sick". It is a great opportunity to learn more about the recent history of Ireland, more especially about Dublin, remembered on the stone. The memories of a Nation written on the stone.

I've lived in Dublin all my life, on the north side for 19 years and close to the cemetery for almost 5 now. I've been in for many a sad occasion, as well as to visit family graves. I never thought I would see it as such a beautiful place. The tour in here is well worth a look, whether you're a Dub or a tourist. The guides have such a wealth of information to pull from you can see everything from real republican historical figures to poets and authors and everything in between. The tour we did had more of a historical focus, on republican figures in the cemetery. We had a very knowledgeable tour guide (I want to say Mark, but I feel like that's probably wrong because I'm terrible with names). It was a very special experience, the cemetery itself is beautiful & it helped that the sun was shining. Don't really know what could have made it better to be totally honest, but I just felt 4 stars summed it up nicely! I'll definitely visit again!

So having lived in Dublin for over 7 years I finally got around to doing the tour here, appropriate for the year that's in it! History in general, never mind Irish History, was not my favourite subject in school. But fear not, if you know zero about history this tour is still for you, you gain so many little snippets. Like for example there are more people buried in Glasnevin than there are currently walking around alive in Dublin today, 1.5 million! To touch the wood on Daniel O'Connell's coffin is good luck (note to self do the lotto tonight!). I took the 2.30pm tour as there is a full re enactment of the graveside speech by Patrick Pearse at the grave of O'Donovan Rossa. Hat's off to the actor he really portrayed the passion that would have been in the original speech. Geraldine our guide was both informative & humourous, a real Dub. The tour itself lasted just over 1.5hours, well worth doing. We are a proud little nation with a varied and highly interesting past. Question is, what will the next 100 years bring... ?

The tour was excellent. Our guide Paddy was very knowlegable and had a lot of great story's. He involved everyone in the tour and seemed to love his job. The cemetery is kept beautifully and is very peaceful and picturesque. A must see for tourists and locals.

Yelping about Glasnevin Cemetery is like Yelping about my back garden, if Zombies decide take over Dublin my brain will be one of the first they eat, not because its big and juicy but because i live that close to the cemetery. Anyway moving away from night of the living dead dubs... Glasnevin Cemetery can of course be a very depressing place, if you walk through the Angels memory garden, the garden for stillborns, and don't get a lump in your throat, you are not human, this part of the cemetery is both brutal and beautiful, decorated with wind chimes and teddy bears and the resting place of over 50000 still borns. Also resting in the Cemetery are some of Ireland's great heroes and architects of our freedom, Micheal Collins, Charles Stewart Parnell and Dev himself, to mention but away of Glasnevins lifeless celebrities, all of who are safely resting behind the iconic large stoned walls dotted with watchtowers, once alive with guards on the look out for body snatchers, a grave matter indeed. The cemetery is beautiful for a peaceful walk if the Botanic gardens are not your scene, or if flowers just aren't macabre enough for you, or you can also take part in one of the guided tours that is offered everyday at 2.30pm at a bargain of 5 euro, which is a must for any Irish history buffs out there. Also the cemetery is a great place for runners, i find something new and interesting every time i run in here now.

There is a museum here, which opened not too long ago. It is very well put together, the basement area is like a crypt, and it is a bit creepy! up stairs there is a history of Danial O'Connell (the founder), and also an area giving snippets about some of the horrors of Dublin the 1800's. Then you can take a tour of the cemetary, or have a wander around yourself! Worth a visit! And there is also a decent cafe!

Went on the tour the other day the tour guide was incredibly knowledgable and really funny the tour felt like it was only touching the tip of the iceberg of all the stories the place holds. Its a massive amount of irish history with all these famous folk buried there as well as scores and scores of ordinary folk. It was very interesting. The grounds are well kept and lovely even for a walk.

Had wanted to do the Glasnevin Cemetery for quite a while as had heard great reviews. We had a great guide (called Conor I think!) who was knowledgeable and funny. The tour lasts about an hour (€7/8€) and when a huge downpour of rain came on the lovely staff came out with large umbrellas for the group. The tour covers key people in history including De Valera and Collins etc and lots of history facts thrown in too. The grounds are so well kept and hard to believe over a million people are buried there. The museum is also interesting and there was an exhibition on as well. Due to the weather we couldn't explore more but was a great way to spend a Sunday morning.

This was easily one of my favorite stops while in Ireland. The cemetery is so rich in history and the design as a whole is really breathtaking. There are something like 1.5 million people buried there and funerals take place daily as it is active. You can see first hand how burial practices have changed, how tombstones or makers of burial have evolved, and really appreciate something that we usually don't take the time to think about-the beauty in the final resting place for our loved ones. Absolutely gorgeous and humbling. You can do the museum for 6 euro, which I recommend. Or you can lookyloo around the cemetery for free.

The tour is excellent and really worth while doing. We had Niall as our tour guide, and he brought great wit and enthusiasm to the tour. The museum is also excellent for a wander pre or post tour.

Almost every Dubliner has a connection to Glasnevin Graveyard. I highly recommend joining the tour, which is not religious in anyway, and has a nice way of bring historical facts to life. To learn about Irish historical figures by their graveside is a surreal experience, the fact that there are some many significant Irish men and women buried within a stones throw of each other, surrounded by over a million other decease, must be unique. Surrounded by the dead, history is brought to life. Besides the tour and visiting these graves, the graveyard itself has an interesting history, and is in a great location for a nice afternoon stroll in Dublin. The Botanic gardens are nearby and the famous gravediggers pub which is within walking distance is a must for a Guinness and a well earned sit down. To any visitor to Dublin or local, I would say that the Glasnevin Cemetery is a great place to spend a couple of hours, and that the tour adds to the experience.

Hanging out with dead folks is not always a bad way to spend an afternoon, especially if you have spent time studying, reading, writing about these folks for as long as you can remember. There is something moving about seeing the graves of people who have inspired so many and have been something of an obsession of yours. It gives a certain validity to one's cause, really seeing the proof they existed at all, not just reading about it. The only reason this amazing who's who of Irish literary, social, non-denominational history gets four starts instead of five is the set up. It is a fantastically lovely cemetery (I am still tying to convince my mom to get me a spot on the wall) but it can be tricky to find who you are looking for. It took all three of us who were there that day a while to find most of the people we were looking for. However, it was a lovely walk and we were in no rush, so it wasn't too bad. The museum is cool and informative on the history of Glasnevin and its importance in the scope of Dublin's history. Well worth the trip.

Freshly dubbed Ireland's necropolis, Glasnevin Cemetery is undergoing something of a revamp. A new visitor centre/museum is due to open in March 2010 and the extensive renovation project is designed to overhaul every grave in time for the centenary of the 1916 Rising. There are daily guided tours that cost €5 and last 90 minutes and take you through Ireland's turbulent history over the past 200 years, as seen through the lives and deaths of its principal players. Perhaps the most unique aspect of the cemetery is that sworn enemies in life are buried in close proximity in death such as union leader Jim Larkin and arch-industrialist William Martin Murphy. The number one attraction is of course the grave of Michael Collins, which may have as much to do with Liam Neeson's portrayal of him on screen as for his achievements in life and his premature death. You're free to wander around on your own, but if you get the tour, ask for Shane.

A few years ago I was working for a Study Abroad/Internship provider and had to find interesting placements for applicants (from the USA). When Glasnevin Trust opened its museum and its doors, I jumped at the chance to get our interns working there. Luckily I got the placements but I didn't really get the opportunity to go in and do the entire tour. I just went to the museum, which was excellent (I wasn't a Yelp anything at the time..). So, with my new interns, I decided to go and do the tour. The 90 minute tour takes you through the cemetery with the history of the lives and deaths of some of Ireland's most famous and infamous. Not only do they talk about these people but the tour gives you a history of Dublin, Ireland's home rule and independence struggles, famine and even something about our drainage/sewer system. If all that works for you, it's worth going through the beautifully manicured and organised property that is Glasnevin Cemetery.

It was another cool unpleasant summer day. This graveyard has over one and a half million souls buried within and when we were there between 1 and 3pm at least another three souls joined that number. It is a burial ground for those of faith and none. We took the tour. The tour, which takes about two hours and costs €12, focuses on Irish political history. There was another one focussing on the failed 1916 uprising. I was surprised to see just how modest is the family grave of Mr De Valera who was American born and who gave well over sixty years public service, as the author of the Irish constitution, the founder of one of Ireland's two main political parties and its prime minister and eventually he became the Irish president. Nearby the Boland family (millers) have a huge crypt including a mini chapel. The guide brought us into the crypt of Mr Daniel O' Connell; his lead lined coffin is visible and he shares his impressive resting place with 12 of his relatives - so there are 12 lead lined dusty coffins literally just stacked up at one end of the crypt. We were brought to the grave of Mr Michael Collins and we were shown and told that a nearby grave was for sale at a mere sixty three thousand euro. Apparently that's the going rate to be laid to rest near him. His grave is blanketed with fresh flowers. We were told that a French lady visits his grave every few months to lay flowers. Now that's dedication. One area which wasn't very big was a pauper grave area where we were told over seventy thousand people were buried, some possibly still alive, during a cholera epidemic, no headstones and no flowers here. There's no point rehearsing every grave we were brought to but it was a fascinating and informative tour despite heavy rain showers and 15 degrees in the middle of July. Our guide even managed a few jokes related to cheese and Irish whiskey. The cemetery also has two museums and a cafe serving a wide range of hot and cold dishes.

The cemetery was a great way to learn about Irish history, and the people buried here. I did a tour with Keira and she was great! I definitely recommend the trip.

Like the cemeteries in Paris filled with the likes of Oscar Wilde, Colette, and Jimmy Morrision, Dublin too has a graveyard filled with some of its greatest patriots and literary heroes. As a historian visiting a cemetery like Glasnevin fills me with wonderment and amazement and in an odd way makes me feel like I'm visiting with old friends (ok my sister thinks I'm a complete creep because I made her look at famous people's graves, but it's not something I would do in an ordinary grave yard!). At the front gate there's a small shop and you can pick up a map that leads you to the different areas, whether you're interested in political heroes or literary heroes. There's a republican plot that has includes the graves of such figures as John Devoy, who made his name in Irish American politics and a memorial to those hunger strikers who died like Lord Mayor of Cork, Terence MacSwiney. The Collins/De Valera divide lives on in the graveyard and Michael Collins's grave is eternally adorned with fresh flowers. A giant cenotaph towers over the cemetery in honour of an earlier hero, Daniel O'Connell. At one point I somehow managed to veer off the regular path and ended up in a section of the graveyard that was over 300 years old and I felt like I'd walked into the set of a horror movie with half the grave stones knocked over and the names worn off, and the scariest bit was that the ground had started to move and one wrong step and you could end up in a tomb! I suppose the home of the dead should be expected to be a bit spooky and that part aside you're surrounded by greatness in Irish history and it's well worth a visit!

One of my most highly recommended Dublin 'To Do's, the Glasnevin Cemetrey Tour is professional, entertaining, informative, exciting and reasonably priced. For the Irish history nerd, it simply can not be missed. And the child friendly tour guides make this a wonderful activity for the whole family. The visitors center is engaging and brilliantly laid out. An absolute must.

One of the places in Dublin where you can almost feel history - so thick are great names from the Irish past laid to rest here. You have them all here: Charles Stewart Parnell and Daniel O'Connell as well as Michael Collins, Éamon de Valera, Arthur Griffith, Maude Gonne, Constance Markiewicz, Brendan Behan, just to name a few. If you're remotely interested in the history of Ireland, this is one of the places to see in Dublin. The Glasnevin Trust has also recently opened a new museum with exhibitions of Irish Heritage & Genealogy and the history of the cemetery itself.

Glasnevin Cemetery was first opened in 1832 and has since been a part of Ireland's changes and history. It is a gorgeous historic site and the walking tours offered are insightful and genuinely interesting, showing the best of the cemetery's historical monuments and the graves of Ireland's most important figures of history. At the time that I went, the tours were free but the guide did say that it is part of their plan to implement charges to help the restoration of the cemetery.

i recently went to visit my uncles grave in glasnevin, and on the way out i discovered that its actually a really interesting place to visit. i noticed all the graves of some of the most famous people who fought for freedom in ireland. i spent nearly an hour walking around...definitly going to take the tour.