Dublin's oldest burial ground
Bully's Acre is the oldest known cemetery in Dublin, with burials dating back to the 9th century. Originally associated with the monastery of Cell Maighnenn (from which Kilmainham takes its name), this ancient burial ground has witnessed over a millennium of Dublin's history.
The cemetery takes its unusual name from the Irish word "baile" meaning townland or town, though local legend offers more colorful explanations.
Among those buried here are Robert Emmet, the Irish nationalist leader executed in 1803, though the exact location of his grave remains a mystery. The cemetery also contains mass graves from the Great Famine of the 1840s, when Dublin's poor were buried here in their thousands.
Location: Adjacent to Royal Hospital Kilmainham
Access: Via the grounds of the Royal Hospital
Note: Please visit respectfully as this remains a burial ground