Dundonald Cemetery, Ardcarn flats can be seen in the background

Dundonald Cemetery is a large cemetery in Dundonald, Northern Ireland. It opened in 1905 as a municipal burial ground. It is a closed cemetery, except for spaces in existing plots. It is located beside Ardcarn, on the Upper Newtownards Road, East Belfast. The site was originally known as Donall’s Fortress, named after a nearby fort.

History

In 1895, it was decided by Belfast City Council (known as the Belfast Corporation during this period) that more grave space was needed to cope with Belfast's rising population. Dundonald, already had a local cemetery, St. Elizabeth's Church Graveyard, a small cemetery. In 1897, the council bought 45 acres of land at Ballymiscaw, Dundonald for the price of £5,600. On 19 September 1905, the first burial took place. The cemetery was divided was a quarter allocated as Roman Catholic, which was later emended.

In 2020, History Hub Ulster historian Peter McCabe wrote a book about the cemetery, titled A Guide to Dundonald Cemetery. It focuses on simple listings on the interesting lives of a range of people buried in the cemetery, and easy-to-follow trails.

Notable interments

The site contains graves connected to WWI and WWII and the Titanic.

54°35′31″N 5°49′12″W/54.59194°N 5.82000°W/ 54.59194; -5.82000