This is my wee self guided tour of the tranquil environs of historic Shankill Graveyard, Garden of Rest, that sits right on the Shankill road Belfast. This is a smallish graveyard compared to Dundonald and the City cemetery but it is significant and historically important. I was much taken with the age of the graves and who was buried here. I will definitely return for a longer visit preferably when the sun is shining! ( The oldest headstone dates back to 1685! )
Shankill Graveyard is one of the oldest cemeteries in Belfast.
It has been used for burials for more than 1,000 years and, although they no longer take place in the graveyard, it remains an important historical site. One of the oldest legible stones belongs to George McAuley who died in 1685.
A memorial stone book is located in a special landscaped portion of the cemetery, which includes an area of grass where cremated remains can be scattered.
The site's gates and railings are listed due to their historical significance.
Another feature is the sculpture of Queen Victoria by artist John Cassidy, which you can see from the main entrance. The statue was originally located at in Durham Street, before being moved to the cemetery in 2003. It was carved from Portland stone in 1897 to celebrate the queen's diamond jubilee and shows her wearing a dress of Nottingham lace.
History
The earliest church on this site, dating back to around 1306, is believed to have been the White Church of the Chapels of the Ford.
Although the name 'Shankill' means 'old church' (from the Irish 'séan chill'), the name did not come into common use until the 17th century.
During the 18th century, most burials were of local people but, during the 19th century, residents from the nearby linen settlements of Glenalina, Ligoniel, Oldpark and Springfield were also buried in the cemetery. During this time, the site changed from a rural community graveyard to a town cemetery.
Many paupers and victims of the plague and other diseases are also buried in Shankill Graveyard, in unmarked graves. In fact, the Black Death sparked such fear, the ground surrounding the victims' graves was ordered to be closed over and never reopened, in case the disease was 'released'.
In 1834, a watchtower was built by William Sayers and Israel Milliken so families could guard new graves for a small fee. The idea was to prevent bodysnatchers from stealing 'fresh' remains for use in medical research.
The last burial here took place in 1934 so the Belfast Blitz Memorial stone is just that and no more.
Shankill Graveyard was handed over to the public in 1958.
Amongst those buried in the cemetery is William S Baird JP (1824-1886), founder of the Belfast Evening Telegraph (now the Belfast Telegraph). Reverend Isaac Nelson (died 1885), an Irish patriot, nationalist MP and former minister of Donegall Street Presbyterian Church, is also buried in Shankill Graveyard.
Ambrose Sterling from North Belfast was buried in the Shankill Graveyard. Ambrose had been refused entry into the army at age 14, however he enlisted into Royal Flying Corps in 1918. While serving in France he died due to the flu.

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