Deans Grange Cemetery

A Celtic Cross in Deans Grange Cemetery

Deans Grange Cemetery, or more commonly known today as Deansgrange Cemetery, is situated in the suburban area of Deansgrange in the Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown part of the former County Dublin, Ireland. Since it first opened in 1865, over 150,000 people have been buried there. It is, together with Glasnevin and Mount Jerome, one of the largest cemeteries in the Dublin area, occupying 70 acres (280,000 m2).

History

The main walkway dividing the North (Catholic) and South (Protestant) sections
Easter Rising 1916 memorial, Deansgrange Cemetery.

The Burial Act of 1855 resulted in the closure of many of the older churchyards in Dublin and surrounds due to overcrowding. This drove the need to find new lands for cemeteries.[1]

The initial cemetery consisted of just 8 acres (32,000 m2) bought by the Rathdown Union from Rev. John Beatty. The price agreed was £200 which Rev. Beaty set as being equivalent to twenty years rent. A committee was formed to run the new cemetery and on 20 November 1861 Sir George Hobson, chairman of the Guardians of the Rural Districts of the Union, signed the deeds establishing the new cemetery. The new committee set about appointing Matthew Betham as the chairman and Joseph Cope as the office clerk of admin duties and building the new cemetery.[2]

The cemetery was laid out with just two sections, North for Catholic and South for Protestant religions as well as separate chapels for both. It also consisted of a Gate Lodge (Registrar's house) and yew trees lining the main walkways. The buildings were constructed by Matthew Gahan, whose name can be seen on the metal doors to the vaults under each chapel.[2]

It was 1865 when the cemetery took its first burial on 28 January 1865 of Anastasia Carey, buried near the Catholic chapel. There were four grave types to be chosen by the families.[2]

Since the opening of the cemetery two sections were added, South West and West, and the North section was extended. From the 1930s more land was bought and new sections were created and named after different saints bringing the total number of sections to 16.[2]

In 1984 a sister cemetery was opened south of Shankill village called Shanganagh Cemetery and occupying 50 acres (200,000 m2). By the late 1980s the cemetery was running out of space and it was decided to stop selling new grave spaces. However, recent proposals around 2008 will see a small number of improvements and spaces made available.[2]

The gate lodge was lived in by the registrar until the late 1990s when it was vacated.[2]

Today Dean's Grange Cemetery is administered by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council.

Notable burials

John McCormack (1884–1945), world-famous tenor

Interred in the cemetery are people from notable events in local and Irish history.

United Kingdom armed services casualties of the 1916 rising and the Leinster sinking are among the 75 Commonwealth service personnel of World War I who are buried in this cemetery, as are 27 from World War II, whose graves are registered and maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.[4]

Also interred at Deans Grange:

There are many Religious Orders buried here such as the Congregation of Christian Brothers, Daughters of the Cross, Holy Ghost Fathers, Irish Vincentians, the Little Sisters of the Assumption and the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 Igoe, Vivien (2001). "Dublin Burial Grounds & Graveyards", Wolfhound Press, p76, ISBN 0-86327-872-8
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Moran, Jamie (2009). "Dean's Grange Cemetery: Stories from beyond the grave", Chuil Aoibhinn Publications, p11-25 Overview, ISBN 978-0-9561729-0-7
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Moran, Jamie (2009). "Dean's Grange Cemetery: Stories from beyond the grave", Chuil Aoibhinn Publications, p26-204 Notable, ISBN 978-0-9561729-0-7
  4. ↑ CWGC Cemetery Report.
  5. ↑ Biography
  6. ↑ "The Editors". The Irish Times. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
  7. ↑ Profile: William Quirke, irishtimes.com; accessed 30 August 2016.
  8. ↑ CWGC Casualty Record: Jasper Brett

External links

Coordinates: 53°17′N 6°10′W / 53.283°N 6.167°W / 53.283; -6.167

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