Mount Jerome Cemetery

If historic cemeteries are your thing, Mount Jerome is well worth the detour: Ireland's first private cemetery, opened in 1836, tucked away from the tourist trail in Harold's Cross. Across 47 acres (about 19 hectares) you'll find lavish Victorian family vaults and the graves of numerous well-known Irish figures. Admission is free, and the gates close sharply at 16:00. If you're after the larger of Dublin's two big cemeteries, head instead to Glasnevin Cemetery; Mount Jerome is the quieter, more intimate alternative.

Ireland's first private cemetery

Opened in 1836 as Ireland's first private cemetery, Mount Jerome grew into the burial ground of choice for Victorian Dublin's Protestant middle and upper classes. Around 220,000 people are buried here, and the grounds draw roughly 200,000 visitors a year. The 47-acre site is threaded with 6 km of tarmac paths and 16 km of gravel paths – plenty to get pleasantly lost in on a quiet morning.

The cemetery remains active today and is home to Ireland's first environmentally friendly crematorium, with three chapels (Victorian, Garden, Angels). Cremations take place in a separate building next to the chapels. Funerals are held regularly during the day, which is a good reason to plan your visit for early morning or late afternoon instead.

Victorian funerary art

The real draw here is the elaborately carved graves and family vaults – small architectural works of art in their own right. This is where Victorian middle- and upper-class families commissioned monuments to display their wealth well beyond the grave. Alongside colossal Roman- and Greek-style tombs you'll find ornate stone sculpture and even Egyptian obelisks. One particular favourite is the memorial where a stone dog mourns its late master.

Given the age and condition of many monuments, stick to the paths rather than wandering off them. If you have an eye for stonework, there's more substance here than at some of the city's better-known sights.

Poets, painters and patriots

Mount Jerome is the final resting place of a long list of notable Irish figures. The official "Graves of Historical Interest" page lists them with a short biography, grave number and directions – among them:

• Jack B. Yeats (1871–1957), painter and brother of the poet W. B. Yeats.
• Sir William Wilde (1815–1876), eye surgeon and father of Oscar Wilde.
• Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu (1814–1873), Gothic novelist and pioneer of vampire fiction.
• John Millington Synge (1871–1909), playwright ("The Playboy of the Western World").
• Æ – George Russell (1867–1935), poet and mystic.
• Arthur Guinness II (1768–1835), son of the brewery's founder.

There are also names such as the novelist William Carleton, the nationalist Thomas Davis, the mathematician William Rowan Hamilton and the surgeon Abraham Colles. There's no dedicated map of the notable graves: the official "Map of Mount Jerome" only shows the facilities (entrance, office, chapels, columbarium, Garden of Remembrance). If you're after specific graves, use the written directions on the "Graves of Historical Interest" page instead.

Opening hours and admission

Admission is free and no booking is required – you can simply walk in during opening hours.

• Main gate: Monday to Saturday 8:30–16:00, Sunday and public holidays 10:00–16:00.
• Office: Monday to Friday 9:30–15:30, Saturday 9:30–13:00, closed Sunday and holidays.
• Gate closing: sharply at 16:00, with no leeway. Time your visit to finish well before then.

There's no vehicle access on Sundays, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Christmas Eve or St Stephen's Day, though pedestrians can still get in. Over the Christmas and New Year period the cemetery is open daily from 8:30 to 16:00, with reduced hours of 10:00–16:00 on 21, 25, 26 and 28 December and on 1 January. Allow 1 to 2 hours to explore the grounds properly.

Getting there and practical tips

The cemetery sits on Harold's Cross Road in Dublin 6, south of the city centre and well off the usual tourist track.

• Bus: since BusConnects Phase 7 (launched October 2025), the previously used routes 9 and 54A were discontinued and replaced by the new F-Spine routes; route F1 in particular (along with F2/F3) serves Harold's Cross Road. Route 16 continues to run. The nearest stop is Harold's Cross Park, about a 2-minute walk away. See the Public transport guide for details.
• Parking: vehicle access is restricted on many days anyway, and there's no official visitor parking on offer. Disabled parking is available at the chapels.
• Accessibility: an accessible toilet next to the café, step-free access to all chapels, and disabled parking at the chapels.

Mount Jerome pairs well with a wider wander through the city's historic cemeteries and churches. The Dublin history guide traces the bigger picture, while the Churches in Dublin overview places the cemetery within the city's religious history. If you want to follow the trail of Irish writers – from Synge to Le Fanu – the Literary Dublin guide draws out the connections. For contrast, the much larger Glasnevin Cemetery in the north of the city is worth a visit too.