The Ballsbridge, Donnybrook and Sandymount Historical Society Events in June and July

Saturday, 6 June: Tour of the College of Surgeons
The Ballsbridge, Donnybrook and Sandymount Historical Society is sponsoring a Tour of the College of Surgeons on St. Stephen’s Green. The meeting place is at the entrance on York Street at 10am. You do not have to be a member to attend.

Saturday, 20 June, Saturday 11 July, and Saturday 8 August: Tour of Donnybrook Graveyard
People are also invited to come along to one of the scheduled openings of Donnybrook Graveyard in Donnybrook Village, and enjoy a tour with David Neary, retired Parks Department Officer, Dublin City Council. All tours will begin at 3pm.

There are many famous people buried in the graveyard. According to David Neary, “The Donnybrook Graveyard Tour is for me a celebration of the lives of the Dubliners who have been put to rest there over the past eight hundred years, possibly earlier.”

Danny Parkinson’s work at the Cemetery proved to be an invaluable source of information, and David Neary has since supplemented Danny’s knowledge with his own research. “What I have found are unexpected connections with Ireland’s history, especially that of the 18th and 19th centuries and a good perspective on the influential and powerful in those times. As a teenager I loved ‘Goodbye to all That’ by Robert Graves with its account of his First World War experiences and, therefore, it was exciting to discover that his great-grandfather was buried in Donnybrook, as were a wife and two daughters of his ancestor Dr Robert Graves, the originator of Clinical Medicine and the delineator of the symptoms of Graves Disease. The Cemetery is full of fascinating stories, which is why I see the tours as a way of celebrating life.”

Many people have had a part in reviving interest in the Cemetery. Danny Parkinson, the participants in the Community Employment Scheme in the 1980’s, Cllr Dermot Lacey, Cecil King, Dame Ruth Railton, many unnamed volunteers, Dublin City Council’s Parks Department which maintains it and, of course, the people of Donnybrook.

In general, talks are open to the public for a small charge of €3 and free to members. Membership is open to all with an interest in local history, and is €10 for individuals and €15 for a family (two or more members). Most events take place at present in St. Mary’s National School, Belmont Avenue, Donnybrook.
For more information, contact the society.

Ballsbridge, Donnybrook and Sandymount Historical Society, Pembroke Library (pictured left), Anglesea Road, Dublin 4.
Phone Number: 01- 6689575
The website is www.bdshistory.org