I have been doing my work experience in Glasnevin cemetery. This has been a very interesting experience. Glasnevin Cemetery has a lot of history but is also a very calm place to work in. I have been enjoying my time so far.
I often accompany public and school tours during my work experience. I mostly just stay in the back and watch the guide as they deliver their tour. This is to help me with the presentation I have to do at the end of my work experience.
In addition to education resources, the online genealogy database contains one and a half million burial records dating back to 1828.
Every person buried in the cemetery has a burial record. These records are kept in the archives beneath the visitor centre. I sometimes have to help out in organising the archives. Due to the age of these documents (some of them being 200 years old), the archive room is quite cold. Much care and caution is needed when dealing with these papers. When in the archives I have to pack away the books into boxes, and then label them so that they are easier to find.
For almost every person buried at Glasnevin, I can find out: Their date of death, the date they were buried, the place they died, cause of death and the location of the grave. We can also access the person’s name, age, job, last known address, religion and the name of their parents (if they were a child). Many people use these records every day to research their own family history, I often answer people's questions.
I also help out at reception quite often. This just includes greeting and answering customers' questions. The reception is also a shop so sometimes I clean up after the customers have viewed the merchandise.
During my work experience I will also have the opportunity to research one of the historic figures buried at the cemetery. I have to write a presentation on this person, and deliver this at the grave of that person. I have chosen to do my presentation on Elizabeth O’Farrell, she was the person who passed the message to the British army that the leaders of the rising in 1916 were surrendering. I will do this on the last day of my work experience.
I have been enjoying my work experience so far and look forward to learning more in the coming weeks.
Sophie Walsh - TY Press
