A hauntingly beautiful 124-acre expanse just outside city center, Glasnevin Cemetery shares stories of the people that shaped Ireland over the last two centuries. Designer Daniel O’Connell, known as the “Great Liberator,” opened the cemetery to provide a place that dignifies Irishmen and women of all backgrounds. Daily tours guide visitors through the mystery and history, using enthusiasm and expertise to honor the events and people commemorated here. You can choose from a general history tour highlighting the most prominent figures, or the alternative “Dead Interesting” tour that focuses on the lesser-known but nonetheless significant. Either way, you’ll hear myths of gravediggers and grave robbers, and get the chance to climb the 180-foot O’Connell Tower as well as the ornate crypt below. For more information or on a characteristically rainy Dublin day, head inside the interactive museum.
Time Out tip: Inside the museum, you can conduct a genealogy search to see if your family’s heritage is rooted in Ireland.
Nearby:
John Kavanagh “The Gravediggers”: For pints and home-cooked tapas in a strictly no-frills watering hole where gravediggers and mourners have long come to imbibe
Phoenix Park: For a breath of fresh air among a herd of friendly fallow deer
Light House Cinema: To catch an arthouse flick in an intimate, colorful venue