‘Remember now as you go by, as you are now so once was I, and as I am now so you shall be, so prepare for death and follow me.’

Every grave has a story to tell. Glasnevin Cemetery is the final resting place of over one million souls, with some of the most famous names in Irish history resting side by side with those buried in anonymity. The ‘faithful departed’, as James Joyce referred to the cemetery’s population, are reanimated in this book through vivid retellings of their stories.

From unmarked plots to striking monuments, Glasnevin is a microcosm of Irish society over the last two centuries. 

So Once Was I has a story for everyone, representing all threads of Irish society’s rich tapestry. Embark on an intriguing tour through our national necropolis in these pages, and become acquainted with the famous and forgotten that once walked the streets of Dublin.