Huguenot Cemetery Discovery

Before and after the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes, thousands of French Protestants (Huguenots) fled France in search of a safe place to practice their religious beliefs freely. Ireland was one of many places of refuge and about 5,000 Huguenot refugees ended up settling there. Huguenot immigrants began settlements in Dublin, Cork, Portarlington and other areas. Many of them were highly successful in their new home, using their skills as merchants, textile workers, jewelers and watchmakers, as well as those of farmers and sailors.

Senior researcher Cheves Leland (In 2019) and Society President Hagood Morrison (in 2022) have both visited the Huguenot Cemetery in Dublin. Dating from 1693, this burial ground for Huguenot settlers has survived centuries of development and industrialization. It is located between two office buildings Merion Row across the street from St. Stephen’s Green. The burial ground was restored in the 1980s. Although only a few burial sites are extant, there is a memorial tablet on one wall which records the names of the Huguenot refugees and their descendants who were buried in it.

Today, the site is usually kept locked and is maintained by the Dublin City Council. There are several other burial grounds in Dublin containing the remains of Huguenots and many were buried at the French Church in Portarlington, Ireland.