Milltown Cemetery ( ga, Reilig Bhaile an Mhuilinn) is a large cemetery in west

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...

, Northern Ireland. It lies within the

townland A townland ( ga, baile fearainn; Ulster-Scots: ''toonlann'') is a small geographical division of land, historically and currently used in Ireland and in the Western Isles in Scotland, typically covering . The townland system is of Gaelic origi ...

of Ballymurphy, between Falls Road and the

M1 motorway The M1 motorway connects London to Leeds, where it joins the A1(M) near Aberford, to connect to Newcastle. It was the first inter-urban motorway to be completed in the UK; the first motorway in the country was the Preston By-pass, which lat ...

History

Milltown Cemetery opened in 1869 as part of the broader provision of services for the city of Belfast's expanding Catholic population. The cemetery was an important development in the episcopal reign of Bishop Patrick Dorrian of the

Diocese of Down and Connor The Diocese of Down and Connor, ( ga, Deoise an Dúin agus Chonaire) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in Northern Ireland. It is one of eight suffragan dioceses in the ecclesiastical province of the me ...

. Although the cemetery's history and story is often presented as a nationalist and

Irish Republican Irish republicanism ( ga, poblachtánachas Éireannach) is the political movement for the unity and independence of Ireland under a republic. Irish republicans view British rule in any part of Ireland as inherently illegitimate. The develop ...

site, in fact the overwhelming majority of the approximately 200,000 of Belfast dead who are buried there were ordinary, unknown Catholics. Within the cemetery there are three large sections of open space, each about the size of a

football pitch A football pitch (also known as soccer field) is the playing surface for the game of association football. Its dimensions and markings are defined by Law 1 of the Laws of the Game, "The Field of Play". The pitch is typically made of natural tu ...

, designated as "poor ground". Over 80,000 people are buried in the cemetery's poor grounds, many of whom died in the

flu pandemic An influenza pandemic is an epidemic of an influenza virus that spreads across a large region (either multiple continents or worldwide) and infects a large proportion of the population. There have been six major influenza epidemics in the last ...

of 1919. Since 2007, the cemetery has undergone extensive work, reversing years of neglect.

Republicanism

The cemetery has, for some, become synonymous with

Irish republicanism Irish republicanism ( ga, poblachtánachas Éireannach) is the political movement for the unity and independence of Ireland under a republic. Irish republicans view British rule in any part of Ireland as inherently illegitimate. The develop ...

Irish Republican Army The Irish Republican Army (IRA) is a name used by various paramilitary organisations in Ireland throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. Organisations by this name have been dedicated to irredentism through Irish republicanism, the belief tha ...

prisoner

Bobby Sands Robert Gerard Sands ( ga, Roibeárd Gearóid Ó Seachnasaigh; 9 March 1954 – 5 May 1981) was a member (and leader in the Maze prison) of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) who died on hunger strike while imprisoned at HM Prison Maze ...

, who died on hunger strike on 5 May 1981, is buried in the cemetery. Fellow hunger-strikers,

Kieran Doherty Kieran Doherty may refer to: *Kieran Doherty (hunger striker) Kieran Doherty (16 October 1955 – 2 August 1981) was an Irish republican hunger striker and politician who served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Cavan–Monaghan constituency fro ...

, Joe McDonnell and Pat McGeown (who died a number of years later from ill-health brought about by the hunger strike) are also buried there. In total, 77 IRA volunteers are buried in what is known as the 'New Republican Plot', a further 34 volunteers are buried in what is known as the County Antrim Memorial Plot and which was used between 1969 and 1972. Throughout the cemetery, many more IRA volunteers are buried in family graves. These include Tom Williams, who was executed in

Crumlin Road Prison HMP Belfast, also known as Crumlin Road Gaol, is a former prison situated on the Crumlin Road in north Belfast, Northern Ireland. Since 1996 it is the only remaining Victorian era former prison in Northern Ireland. It is colloquially known as ' ...

on 2 September 1942. Williams' body lay in a prison grave until January 2000, when a campaign, by the

National Graves Association, Belfast The National Graves Association, Belfast ( ga, Cumann Uaigheann na Laocradh Gaedheal, Béal Feirste) is a private Irish republican organisation which undertakes to care for and maintain the graves of some Irish Republican Army volunteers who are ...

, to have his remains re-interred in Milltown was successful. Members of the INLA,

IPLO The Irish People's Liberation Organisation was a small Irish socialist republican paramilitary organisation formed in 1986 by disaffected and expelled members of the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA), whose factions coalesced in the aftermat ...

and Workers' Party are also buried there.Cemetery Records The cemetery was the scene of the

Milltown Cemetery attack The Milltown Cemetery attack (also known as the Milltown Cemetery killings or Milltown massacre) took place on 16 March 1988 at Milltown Cemetery in Belfast, Northern Ireland. During the large funeral of three Provisional IRA members killed ...

on 16 March 1988, when

loyalist Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cro ...

paramilitary Michael Stone attacked a funeral, killing three mourners as IRA volunteers

Dan McCann Daniel McCann (30 November 1957 – 6 March 1988) was a member of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA), who was murdered by the British Army on 6 March 1988 whilst being accused of attempting to plant a car bomb in Gibraltar. Early ...

Seán Savage Seán Savage ( ga, Seán Sabhaois) (26 January 1965 – 6 March 1988) was a member of the Provisional IRA who was shot dead by the British Army whilst being accused attempting to plant a car bomb in Gibraltar. Early life Born into an Irish Re ...

and

Mairéad Farrell Mairéad Farrell ( ga, Máiréad Ní Fhearghail or ''Mairéad Ní Fhearail'') (3 March 1957 – 6 March 1988) was a member of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA). She was shot dead by the British Army in Gibraltar on 6 March 1988.Pg 30 ...

, were being buried. All three had been killed by members of the SAS at

Gibraltar ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song = " Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gib ...

during Operation Flavius.

Graves

;Harbinson Plot: William Harbinson died while

interned Internment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without charges or intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects". Thus, while it can simply ...

in Belfast Prison and was buried at Portmore, Ballinderry. A

Celtic cross The Celtic cross is a form of Christian cross featuring a nimbus or ring that emerged in Ireland, France and Great Britain in the Early Middle Ages. A type of ringed cross, it became widespread through its use in the stone high crosses er ...

was erected to his memory, and that of other republicans who were imprisoned in

County Antrim County Antrim (named after the town of Antrim, ) is one of six counties of Northern Ireland and one of the thirty-two counties of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of and has a population o ...

jails, in Milltown cemetery in 1912. This plot contains the remains of 5 IRA volunteers: :*''Joe McKelvey'', Liam Mellows, Dick Barrett, and Rory O'Connor were captured when Free State forces attacked the

Four Courts The Four Courts ( ga, Na Ceithre Cúirteanna) is Ireland's most prominent courts building, located on Inns Quay in Dublin. The Four Courts is the principal seat of the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal, the High Court and the Dublin Circuit ...

in Dublin. Without charge or trial, on 8 December 1922, they were executed by firing squad. In 1924, McKelvey was re-interred in Milltown. :*''Sean McCartney'' was shot dead while engaging in paramilitary activities on 8 May 1921 in the Lappinduff Mountains, County Cavan. He was a member of a Belfast

Flying Column A flying column is a small, independent, military land unit capable of rapid mobility and usually composed of all arms. It is often an ''ad hoc'' unit, formed during the course of operations. The term is usually, though not necessarily, appli ...

which operated there. :*''Terence Perry'', in 1939, as part of the IRA's Expeditionary Force, volunteered for paramilitary activities in England. Captured, he was imprisoned in

Parkhurst Prison HM Prison Parkhurst is a Prison security categories in the United Kingdom, Category B men's prison situated in Parkhurst, Isle of Wight, Parkhurst on the Isle of Wight, operated by His Majesty's Prison Service. Parkhurst prison is one of the two ...

, where he died on 7 July 1942. :*''Sean Gaffney'', an IRA volunteer was imprisoned on the prison ship , moored at

Strangford Lough Strangford Lough (from Old Norse ''Strangr Fjörðr'', meaning "strong sea-inlet"PlaceNames N ...

. On 18 November 1940, he died while still in prison. :*''Seamus "Rocky" Burns'', while interned, escaped from

Derry Derry, officially Londonderry (), is the second-largest city in Northern Ireland and the fifth-largest city on the island of Ireland. The name ''Derry'' is an anglicisation of the Old Irish name (modern Irish: ) meaning 'oak grove'. The ...

jail. He was in Belfast when he was shot by RUC personnel in Castle Street. He died on 12 February 1944.National Graves Association, Belfast ;County Antrim Memorial Plot: Unveiled on the 50th anniversary of the

Easter Rising The Easter Rising ( ga, Éirí Amach na Cásca), also known as the Easter Rebellion, was an armed insurrection in Ireland during Easter Week in April 1916. The Rising was launched by Irish republicans against British rule in Ireland with the a ...

, the plot honours the county's republican dead. 34 IRA volunteers who died while involved in paramilitary activity during the late 1960s and early 1970s are buried there. The New Republican Plot Milltown Cemetery (corrected)

The New Republican Plot Milltown Cemetery (corrected)

;New Republican Plot : In 1972, the

National Graves Association The National Graves Association (NGA; ga, Cumann Uaigheann na Laochra Gael, "Grave Committee of Heroes of the Gaels") is an Irish organisation which seeks to maintain the graves of Irish republicans who died in the pursuit of a united Ireland. I ...

purchased the ground which would become the New Republican Plot. It has space for 46 graves, each to accommodate four burials (allowing for a total of 184 coffins to be buried). The first burials here took place in July of that year. This plot contains the remains of 77 IRA Volunteers who have died while engaging in paramilitary activities or as a result of imprisonment or assassination, not only in Belfast but those killed as far away as

. Here are buried those volunteers who died as a result of hunger striking. ;Winifred Carney Grave

Winifred Carney Maria Winifred Carney (4 December 1887 – 21 November 1943), also known as Winnie Carney, was an Irish suffragist, trade unionist, and Irish independence activist. Early life Born into a lower-middle class Catholic family at Fisher' ...

, a lifelong socialist (died 21 November 1943) was a member of the

Irish Citizen Army The Irish Citizen Army (), or ICA, was a small paramilitary group of trained trade union volunteers from the Irish Transport and General Workers' Union (ITGWU) established in Dublin for the defence of workers' demonstrations from the Dublin M ...

and

Cumann na mBan Cumann na mBan (; literally "The Women's Council" but calling themselves The Irishwomen's Council in English), abbreviated C na mB, is an Irish republican women's paramilitary organisation formed in Dublin on 2 April 1914, merging with and di ...

. In 1916 during the

she was secretary to Commadante

James Connolly James Connolly ( ga, Séamas Ó Conghaile; 5 June 1868 – 12 May 1916) was an Irish republican, socialist and trade union leader. Born to Irish parents in the Cowgate area of Edinburgh, Scotland, Connolly left school for working life at the a ...

and the last woman to leave the G.P.O. ; Sean McCaughey Grave ;INLA Plot : The INLA Plot contains the remains of ten members of the

Irish National Liberation Army The Irish National Liberation Army (INLA, ga, Arm Saoirse Náisiúnta na hÉireann) is an Irish republican socialist paramilitary group formed on 10 December 1974, during the 30-year period of conflict known as "the Troubles". The group seek ...

;Giuseppe Conlon Grave

Priest's Row

Another significant section of the cemetery, facing onto the

Andersonstown Andersonstown is a suburb of west Belfast, Northern Ireland, at the foot of the Black Mountain (Belfast), Black Mountain and Divis Mountain. It contains a mixture of public and private housing and is largely a working-class area with a strong Iri ...

Road is the plot where many senior Catholic clerics, who were important educational, social and cultural figures in post-Partition Northern Ireland, are buried. Many of the graves are adorned with high Celtic crosses. There are over two dozen priests of the

buried here almost all of them with strong pastoral and familial links to West Belfast. Among the most prominent are: *Bishop

Daniel Mageean Bishop Daniel Mageean D.D. 6 May 1882 – 17 January 1962 was an Irish Roman Catholic Prelate and until 1962 he held the title Lord Bishop of Down and Connor. Early life and priestly ministry Daniel Mageean was born in the townland of Darragh ...

* Canon James Clenaghan, the grave inscription is entirely in Irish reflecting his cultural interests. Former President

St. Malachy's College St Malachy's College, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, is the oldest Catholic diocesan college in Ulster. The college's alumni and students are known as Malachians. History The college, founded by Bishop William Crolly, opened on the feast of Sa ...

* Canon Patrick Rogers D.Litt., MRIA, principal of Trench House/ St Joseph's College of Education, forerunner of

St Mary's University College, Belfast St Mary's University College is a university college in Belfast, Northern Ireland. History The origins of the College can be traced back to 1900 when the Dominican Sisters opened St Mary’s Training College on the present Falls Road campus with ...

* Monsignor Dean Frank Kerr, PP

St Malachy's Church, Belfast Saint Malachy's Church is a Catholic Church in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is located in Alfred Street, a short distance from Belfast City Hall , though it precedes that building by over 60 years. The Church is the focal point of the local pari ...

- brother of Fr Hugo Kerr, after whom Hugo St in named * Rev John A MacLaverty, Adm St. Peter's Cathedral, Belfast died 1943 * Canon Patrick McGouran, PP Sacred Heart, Belfast - a nephew of Bishop

and a former chaplain to those interned on

HMS Argenta HMS ''Argenta'' (originally the American cargo ship SS ''Argenta'') was a prison ship of the British Royal Navy. Construction The two deck steamer was laid down in July 1917 by the National Shipbuilding Company of Orange, Texas as Hull No. 245. ...

in 1923 while a teacher at

St Malachy's College St Malachy's College, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, is the oldest Catholic diocesan college in Ulster. The college's alumni and students are known as Malachians. History The college, founded by Bishop William Crolly, opened on the feast of Sain ...

* Monsignor Arthur H Ryan, PP St. Brigid's, Belfast * Fr John McCaughan BCL, PP St Paul's Belfast, former President

, died 1939 * An tAthair Roibeard Fullerton, led the Gaelic League & Irish language revival across Ulster, inscription entirely in Irish * Monsignor Dean Gerard Montague DD, PP St Paul's Belfast, died 1994

War Graves

The

Commonwealth War Graves Commission The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) is an intergovernmental organisation of six independent member states whose principal function is to mark, record and maintain the graves and places of commemoration of Commonwealth of Nations mil ...

maintains and registers the graves within the cemetery of British Commonwealth service personnel, covering years 1914–21 and 1939–47. There are 102

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

and 52

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

graves, besides 10 foreign national servicemen. The focal point is a Cross of Sacrifice erected by the Commission after

, near which stands a Screen Wall memorial listing those of that war whose graves could not be individually marked.

Belfast Blitz Memorial

The

Belfast Blitz The Belfast Blitz consisted of four German air raids on strategic targets in the city of Belfast in Northern Ireland, in April and May 1941 during World War II, causing high casualties. The first was on the night of 78 April 1941, a small attack ...

occurred in the April and May 1941 when approximately 1,000 citizens of the city, known and unknown, perished. After the burials of those who could be identified the city authorities were left with human remains where positive identification was not possible. It was decided to have two large 'en masse' burials, one at the City Cemetery and one at Milltown. In 2012 the memorial was restored.

Image gallery

File:Harbinson Plot.jpg, Harbinson Plot File:County Antrim Plot.jpg, County Antrim Memorial Plot File:Winnifred_Carney_Grave7.jpg, Grave of Winifred Carney, Socialist and combatant in GPO, Dublin 1916 File:Ned_Trodden_Grave.jpg, Grave of Ned Trodden File:Sean_Martin_Grave_Milltown.JPG, Grave of volunteer Sean Martin File:Sean_Gaynor_Grave_Milltown.jpg, Grave of volunteer Sean Gaynor File:Milltown cemetery.jpg, Photograph taken prior to restoration work File:New republican plot milltown.jpg, Photograph of New Republican Plot File:New republican plot milltown1.jpg, New Republican Plot. Plaque dedicated to the ten men who died on Hunger Strike in the H Blocks of Long Kesh in 1981 File:11800340 112745802714.jpg, New Republican Plot. Plaque on the grave of volunteer

File:New republican plot milltown2.jpg, Grave of IRA volunteers Dan McCann,

Mairead Farrell Mairead, Máiréad or Mairéad, is a feminine name and the Irish variation of the given name Margaret, which is believed to mean "pearl". Another spelling variation is Maighread, which is the dominant Scottish Gaelic spelling of the name. It may ...

and Sean Savage who were killed in Gibraltar in 1988 File:Kieran Doherty.jpg, Grave of volunteer

who died on Hunger strike in the H Blocks of Long Kesh in 1981 File:Old republican plot milltown1.jpg, County Antrim Memorial Plot File:Old republican plot milltown2.jpg, County Antrim Memorial Plot File:INLA milltown1.jpg, INLA Plot File:OIRA plot milltown1.jpg, Official IRA/Workers' Party Plot File:Workers party plot milltown.jpg, Workers' Party Plot File:SDC11250.JPG, Celtic Cross at the entrance of the cemetery dedicated to the first priests buried there