Boost for Glasnevin Cemetery

Orla Dwyer

Glasnevin Cemetery will receive a €200,000 grant from Fáilte Ireland to upgrade the visitor centre and improve language options for guided tours.

Over €1.75 million will be invested through Fáilte Ireland’s ‘Dublin’s Surprising Stories’ grants scheme to 11 visitor attractions in Dublin.

Glasnevin Cemetery currently only offers guided tours in English and it is hoped some of the grant will help change this. 

Sales and Marketing manager at Glasnevin Cemetery Ann Kilcoyne said the funding will be used to improve facilities in advance of its 10-year anniversary as a tourist attraction in 2020.

“With everything like maintenance after 10 years, things get tired and overly used,” said Kilcoyne.

“It does need a bit of a lick of paint, as they say.

“We have got 1.6 million people buried here, there are literally hundreds of thousands of stories and the key at the end of the day is to try and bring those stories back to life.”

The cemetery funding will be used to upgrade the visitor centre and museum to make it more of an indoor and outdoor experience.

Plans are also in place to develop new tours and language resources, a revised indoor layout and a new education and events area. 

The cemetery prepared a detailed application form for the funding by reviewing customer experiences step by step to identify aspects to change such as improving the audio guides and modernising the digital experience. 

“I think what we need to do is to open up the experience to a more international audience, such as the European audience, and provide language capabilities,” said Kilcoyne.  

No date has been given for when the money will be granted but Kilcoyne believes it will be within the next 12 months, hopefully before next year’s anniversary.  

“Definitely by our tenth anniversary, I would hope that we would have our wish list ticked off and everything in place,” she said. 

Funds for the 11 attractions ranged from €51,000 to €200,000. 

Other attractions that received a grant included the GAA Museum at Croke Park, EPIC – The Irish Emigration Museum and Clondalkin Round Tower.

The announcement of the grants was made recently at Glasnevin Cemetery by Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe. 

“This funding will ensure that visitors experience the very best of what our capital city has to offer with enhanced attractions and visitor experiences,” he said. 

Paul Kelly, Fáilte Ireland Chief Executive said the grant scheme was focused on bringing the stories and people of Dublin to life in an unforgettable way. 

“Dublin, like Fáilte Ireland’s other experience brands, is constantly evolving and we know that the modern tourist wants a more interactive and accessible experience,” said Kelly at the launch. 

“New emerging technology can break down language barriers and create new ways for visitors to enjoy history and heritage and experience immersive, engaging and interactive experiences.”