Right here before the archway to Donnybrook Cemetery, we find a memorial erected by the Dublin Stock Exchange. It honors Thomas Chamney Searight. He served as their registrar for many years. Searight died on May 27th 1890. His remains are buried in this very churchyard.
Donnybrook Cemetery’s history stretches back centuries. It is steeped in Dublin’s past. This site was once home to an old Celtic church. Saint Broc founded it. The name Donnybrook itself comes from Domhnach Broc. It means the Church of Broc in Irish.
Later, a church dedicated to Saint Mary was built here. Archbishop John Comyn dedicated it sometime between 1181 and 1212. The church was rebuilt in 1720 by Archbishop William King. By 1827, a replacement church was needed due to the growing congregation. This new St. Mary’s Church was built on Anglesea Road and Simmonscourt Road. It opened in 1830. The old church was then demolished. Some believe a small wall in the cemetery marks its remains.
Originally, the cemetery entrance was located to the south. It was near the Religious Sisters of Charity. Today, the entrance stands beside the Garda station. It is marked by the archway we see now. The Dublin Stock Exchange erected it in 1893.
In 1879, a startling discovery was made on Ailesbury Road. Workers unearthed the remains of 600 people. These remains dated back to a bloody massacre by the Danes. It likely occurred in the 9th or 10th century. The bodies were reburied here in Donnybrook Cemetery.
Further upheaval occurred in 1931. The street was widened. The cemetery entrance was moved back fifteen feet. During this work, another mass grave was found. These remains were reburied in the south of the cemetery.
Donnybrook Cemetery has seen periods of neglect. In 1847, much-needed improvements were made to restore the grounds. In 1985, the Donnybrook Community Development Committee undertook a major restoration project.
The cemetery holds the remains of many notable figures. Archbishop William King is buried here. Bishop Robert Clayton rests here too. Edward Lovett Pearce also lies within these grounds. He was a renowned Irish architect. Bartholomew Mosse, founder of the Rotunda Hospital, is interred here. Richard Robert Madden, an Irish doctor, writer, and abolitionist, is also buried in Donnybrook Cemetery.
Even the FitzWilliam family had a chapel here. Sir Richard FitzWilliam was interred in 1595. Nicholas FitzWilliam followed in 1635. Oliver FitzWilliam, the 1st Earl of Tyrconnell, was buried here in 1667.
The cemetery gates are usually locked. Dublin City Council cares for the grounds. You can obtain the key from the Garda station next door.
President Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh officially reopened Donnybrook Cemetery on May 1st, 1976. This followed a significant cleanup effort. Today, this plaque serves as a reminder. It connects us to the lives and stories. It connects us to those who rest in Donnybrook Cemetery. Their memories live on within these historic grounds.