Heritage from Home - Graveyards

There are 54 historic graveyards within Fingal which form a significant element of the county’s heritage. Many are still in use. Some such as Lusk, Swords, St Douloughs and Grallagh are associated with saints and date from the earliest periods of Christianty. Others like Cloghran, Holmpatrick and Mulhuddart are medieval parish graveyards. Many contain church ruins, holy wells and interesting gravestones. These ancient graveyards were only enclosed in the 19th century and as such there is the potential for burials to be discovered beyond the present graveyard walls. Historic graveyards are also a haven for flora and fauna and can support native grasses and wildflowers as well as providing habitats for birds and lizards.

https://www.fingal.ie/historic-graveyards

The aim of the Fingal Historic Graveyards Project was to provide and assessment of the historic graveyards and baseline data to inform their protection. Each entry contains information about their origin, location, types of tombs and interesting gravemarkers. Click here

Almost all of Fingal’s historic graveyards are also recorded archaeological monuments and are subject to legislative protection. It is tempting especially when graveyards have become overgrown or appear in need of repair to take matters into your own hands but even pulling ivy off a wall can have a serious detrimental impact. Schemes for the clearing and maintenance of graveyards should be fully planned and expert advice sought. See here

A resource, especially for genealogists in the Buried in Fingal project where burial records for graveyards can be accessed. See for a burial https://buried.fingal.ie/  The Dublin Graveyards Directory  is an on-line resource which cover all of Dublin city and county including Fingal with databases and links to gravestone transcriptions and other useful research information. See here