The Milltown Cemetery

If you walk walk walk in Falls Road, and you have already walked 4.1 km from the City Hall,...then you will arrive (probably wet, tired, but having seen a lot of beautiful things already) to the Milltown Cemetery....."entered into service" in 1869 as primary Catholic cemetery in the Belfast area.

The cemetery is in an area of 62 acre and host the graves of almost 500000 Belfast's citizens.

A part is dedicated to the victims of the endemic flu of 1918, and they are buried in unmarked graves. Here also 100 British soldiers from the first and second world war are buried.

But  the cemetery is more well-known for the graves of some of the most important Republican revolutionaries, as Bobby Sands, Joe McDonnell and Kieran Doherty, who died in the Hunger Strike of the 1981.

Unfortunately, I could not spent much time in the place (rain coming and will to see the remaining murals) and I have not seen their graves....I had also a "small" accident changing for the first time the lens  ("what are these black spots that I see???....mmmmm") which made me a little not in the mood of searching... and to be honest at that time I was not so aware of all the Belfast history,...I am a little sorry for this...

Anyway, a relaxing place...with also a toilet (not to undervalue after hours of walking ;))..

At the end of the cemetery, a nice panorama of the city...

More photos here! :)

Celtic Cross at the entrance of the Milltown Cemetery, Belfast 2015

The read more about the Milltown Cemetery:
http://www.milltowncemetery.com/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milltown_Cemetery

Finally, I have found in internet the photos of the IRA volunteers' graves.

The following is written in a plaque on the grave of Bobby Sands:

In Loving Memory of a Special Son.

I often lie awake at night when others are asleep,

I take a walk down memory lane with tears upon my cheeks.
No one knows the heartache, I try so hard to hide,

some people say as time goes by the heartache will subside.
But the feelings in my heart today, are the same as the day you died.
It broke my heart to lose you, your parting caused such pain,

but the greatest day has yet to come

when we will meet again.