Discover the story of St James’ Church & Graveyard in the Liberties, one of Dublin’s most historic cemeteries.

In the heart of Dublin’s vibrant Liberties, you can find a centuries-old place that links the city’s past with its present; St. James’s Church & Graveyard. Located virtually across the road from the famous Guinness Storehouse, hundreds of thousands of people pass by the gates of St James’s every year. Still, very few know the intriguing story of this hallowed place.

Beneath the modern glass spire and 19th-century church turn distillery is a graveyard with medieval roots. Since its foundation in the 12th century until the final burial in 1989, it is estimated that over one hundred thousand people from all walks of life have been laid to rest here, including aristocrats, paupers and revolutionaries.

In this audio guide, produced on behalf of Dublin City Council, you will be taken on a journey through time to discover the intriguing lives of those buried here. You will hear about Sir Theobald Butler’s rise to success and how he signed the Treaty of Limerick, which sealed his brother’s fate. You will also learn about revolutionary John O’Grady and his tragic role in the 1916 Rising.

We will then follow in the footsteps of pilgrims on the Camino and discover how the church catered to both the Protestant and Catholic communities living in St James’s parish. Throughout the guide, we will be joined by Dublin City Council Historian in Residence Cathy Scuffil, who sheds light on the local community, historical burial practices and some interesting characters interred here.

Over the last eight hundred years, the graveyard has been connected to a Catholic church, a Protestant church, a lighting emporium and a distillery. Nowadays, this historical graveyard is in the care of Dublin City Council, who have undertaken essential conservation work over the last number of years. In this guide, you will hear about this much-needed work which allows the surviving memorials in St James’s graveyard to be around for future generations to enjoy.

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The St James’ Church & Graveyard Audio Guide

This audio guide was written and produced by Abarta Heritage on behalf of Dublin City Council. The script was written by Tara Clarke, and narration was by Gerry O’Brien. The guide was produced in Bluebird Studios, Dublin, with sound engineer Declan Lonergan and producer Neil Jackman.

Special thanks to genealogist, lecturer and author Sean Murphy for his valuable research into the history of St James’s Church & Graveyard. To find his book A History of St James’s Church and Graveyard, and to discover more of his work visit his website here. Thanks also to Dublin City Council Historian-In-Residence Cathy Scuffil for her contribution to this audio guide.

To hear more about Dublin City’s historic cemeteries, why not discover the stories of the Cabbage Garden Cemetery, Merrion Row Huguenot Cemetery and the Ballybough Jewish Cemetery.