People’s final wishes around interment are changing with more opting these days for cremation. Therefore, Columbarium Walls are becoming a more familiar sight in Irish cemeteries as the amount of burial space diminishes. They have a rich history dating back to ancient times and are structures designed to hold urns containing the ashes of the dead. They can be independent structures or integral parts of cemeteries, and in densely populated Dublin they provide a space-efficient alternative to the traditional burial ground. This reflects the need for practical and respectful interment solutions in cities, as well as accommodating people’s need for a final resting place in their own area.
A ‘Columbarium Walls Feasibility Study’ for DCC Parks and Landscape Services was commissioned in 2019, looking into how cemeteries no longer in use might be a suitable candidate for a columbarium wall. Four suitable sites for this were noted and investigated, including Clontarf, Bluebell, Merrion (Bellevue) and Donnybrook.
Donnybrook Graveyard
Donnybrook graveyard is located on the site of an old Celtic church founded by Saint Broc, from which Donnybrook received its name. This location was considered to have the optimum characteristics for an initial Columbarium Wall proposal and was consequently chosen as the pilot project. A draft Burial Places Strategy was presented to the Arts, Culture, Leisure and Recreation SPC, in May 2021. As per best practice, a Conservation Management Plan and an archaeological assessment were commissioned to better understand the historical Donnybrook Graveyard site. It considered detailed design issues such as specific wall positions.
In a meeting in 2022 it was agreed that Donnybrook was suitable for a Columbarium wall, and that the proposed wall and improvement work was in line with the zoning objectives and policies of the Dublin City Development Plan. The plan ventures to make some small Dublin graveyards accessible to the public, with the aim of deepening civic pride and igniting interest in a wide range of heritage strands. It is a welcome adjustment to Donnybrook graveyard which has been closed to the public for many years (last burial was in 1936), and means members of the public will have access to it once more.
Historical Connections
Donnybrook has burial records that range from 1712 till it closed in 1916. It holds the remains of notable figures, among them architect Sir Edward Lovett Pearce (1699-1733) the most important Palladian architect of his day; whose works include Parliament House (now the Bank of Ireland, built between 1729 and 1739), and Dr Bartholomew Mosse (1712–1759), who was responsible for founding the Rotunda Hospital in Dublin. Through such people the history of the city can be told.
This is certainly a viable project overall and good news for Donnybrook and is something that may be duplicated throughout the country.
Update on the development of Donnybrook Cemetery with regard to proposed Columbarium Wall
In a reply to a question from Councillor Dermot Lacey (Lab) Mr Bernard Brady, Acting Senior Parks & Landscape Officer stated:
“The contract for Columbarium Walls in Donnybrook Graveyard was terminated on the 9th October due to failure by the contractor to fulfil contractual obligations including rectification of defective works. The works are currently in the process of being re-tendered and it is expected that they will recommence onsite within the first quarter of 2025. Parks Services will provide a detailed programme once the contractor is appointed.”
Hopefully the issue will be resolved and work recommence shortly.
Some notable people interred in Donnybrook Cemetery
The Fitzwilliam family, who gave their name to many places in Dublin including the street in Ringsend where NewsFour is located.
Richard Graves (1763-1829), theologian and classicist, and ancestor of the poet of the same name.
Robert Clayton (1695-1758), author of An Essay On Spirit.
Dr Richard Robert Madden (1798-1886), fought all his life to abolish slavery, particularly Britain’s involvement in the West Indies.
Rev George Wogan, a curate in Donnybrook.
William Ashford (1746-1824) a landscape painter.
William King, Archbishop of Dublin from 1703 to 1729.
Sir Edward Lovett Pearce and Bartholomew Mosse, mentioned in main article.
About 7000 people in total are said to be interred in Donnybrook Cemetery; including Catholics, Protestants, Jews and Huguenots. The earliest headstone dates from 1625. Elizabeth Ryder and her sister Amy were the last people to be buried in the cemetery.
