Looking for a different experience this Halloween? Why not visit the O’Connell Tower

By Ray MacAodhagain

The ancient custom of Halloween dates back over 2,000 years to the festival of Samhain. It was held that on Halloween night the souls of the dead returned to their homes. People, in an effort to ward off evil spirits, adorned costumes and lit bonfires, out of which the popular images of demons, witches and ghosts, familiar today, were formed. Other Halloween traditions include, finding the pea, a match-stick or ring in a sweetened bread better known as bairín breac (Barmbrack). There are also a variety of games connected to the festival. Such as, apple bobbing, a family fun game that entails putting apples in a bucket of water and trying to remove them using only one’s mouth. Last but not least the cherished tradition of calling on neighbours with a bag in hand and asking, ‘help the Halloween party’ (the origin of Trick or Treat). However, if culture is more your thing, then keep reading.

Halloween lands on Thursday 31st of October this year and the bank holiday on the previous Monday, so with plenty of time to get out and about here are some recommended visits.

Glasnevin Cemetery 

A visit to Glasnevin Cemetery is a must as the graveyard is most vibrant in autumn, with the shades of red, yellow and orange being most visible. There is plenty of space to ramble as the Cemetery is approximately 124 acres. If that seems a little daunting then you can book a tour through booking@dctrust.ie or https://www.dctrust.ie/experience-glasnevin.html

You may be glad to know that the Cemetery has a wide range of tours on offer. In particular, the Dead Interesting Tour, regaling visitors with ghoulish tales of the lives of past figures, writers, and body-snatching to boot. Other popular tours include the Irish History Tour, which features the final resting place of key historical figures such as Charles Stewart Parnell, Michael Collins and Countess Markievicz. While the remarkable lives of women like Maud Gonne, Grace Gifford Plunkett (wife of Joseph Mary Plunkett), Elizabeth O’Farrell and more, are illuminated by The Women in History Tour.  

The Newly Renovated Tower 

The latest and perhaps the most spectacular addition to the Glasnevin experience is the newly renovated visitor experience at the O’Connell Tower. The tower could be described as the crowning glory of the cemetery. It was built to honour Daniel O’Connell, the most influential figure in the movement for Catholic Emancipation (achieved in 1829). 

O’Connell died in 1847 and his mortal remains were buried in a plot called the O’Connell Circle. However, it was felt that a more fitting burial was owed to the hero and he was exhumed and placed in the ornate crypt beneath George Petrie’s O’ Connell Tower (modelled on an Irish Round Tower) in 1869. The tower had been constructed in just 16 months and when finished measured an impressive 180 feet or 55 metres. It stands today as sturdy as it did the day it was built and remains one of the highest structures in the city.  

My Visit to the Tower

On my visit to the crypt and tower I was lucky enough to meet with Ultan Moran, Heritage Officer at Glasnevin. As we began to climb the 198 steps to the top of the Tower Ultan drew my attention to the newly erected information panels. They depict in fine detail events in O’Connell’s life including his infamous duel with alderman John Norcot D’Estrette, which came off after O’Connell made an insulting remark about Dublin Corporation. 

We stopped to assess the damage caused by 10 lb. of gelignite, which was planted in the tower by suspected Loyalist paramilitaries in 1971, in retribution for the IRA blowing up Nelson’s Pillar in 1966. The explosion blew out two of the wooden window frames. The staircase crashed to the ground and the blast caused at least two cracks 18’’ long and a few inches wide between the second and third windows. The only casualty was a pigeon, found amongst the debris outside the main entrance. This event is detailed on one of the new information panels.  

What is important is that the blast did not destroy O’ Connell’s remains. Although it resulted in the tower’s closure between 1971 and 2018. When it reopened, fully repaired, it boasted a wrought iron spiral staircase with hand carved wooden steps. 

The latest upgrade meant that it was closed for a short period in 2023. 

Ultan and I continued our way up towards the top of the tower. There were further information panels highlighting the prominence of O’Connell and other influential Irish figures including Hanna Sheeny Skeffington (suffragette and nationalist). They also include a broader international context, featuring figures like Fredrick Douglas, a former slave turned prominent US abolitionist. One of the latest additions is an audio commentary detailing the history, which I believe makes the ascent more enjoyable. The whole experience is enhanced by crypt lighting, conical roof lighting at the top of the Tower, and additional signage. The pièce de résistance, however, is a 360-degree bird’s-eye view, from an unimpeded vantage point at the top. 

The Glasnevin Visitor Centre

Located on the first floor of the Visitor Centre is the Extraordinary Lives exhibition. The exhibition is centred on the lives of more than 20 people who have their final resting place in Glasnevin Cemetery.  This is well worth a visit. The building also houses a café. The place is a joy and the food, particularly a scone, tea or coffee is recommended on an autumn day. 

Botanic Gardens 

If you do visit in October, it is worth stopping at the Botanic Gardens, the largest in the country at some 20 hectares in size. The gardens can be accessed by a gate in the old part of Glasnevin Cemetery. It is very beautiful this time of year for it holds approximately 20,000 living plants and many millions of dried plant specimens. There are several greenhouses of architectural significance on view. A nearby pub, the Gravediggers is worth a visit and does a great pint of Guinness, I’m told. If you have little ones then keep an eye on the website botanicgardens.ie for the pumpkin carving for kids’ competition, which usually takes place around Halloween.