Category: Ita’s World

From the time of the Elizabethan conquest, the Big House was the residence of planters, manifested first in fortified castles, subsequently in Palladian mansions, modest rectories or fantasies of the Gothic Revival, the focus of what was long perceived as an alien Landlord class. Fuelled by rents from its tenantry, the life-style of the inhabitants of the Big House widely condemned by, among others, Frederick Engels, varied between splendid civilised living, extravagance, debt, irresponsibility, and eccentricity, reaching its zenith…

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Glasnevin Cemetery is the largest cemetery in Ireland. It was opened on 22 February 1832 after Daniel O’Connell’s great achievement of Catholic Emancipation. His wish was to establish a place where those of all religions and none could bury their dead with dignity. The unique Victorian garden cemetery was initially informally landscaped, with sweeping roads wide enough for carriages and smaller paths for strolling. Careful planting of trees and architectural features that impressed or drew the eye were key….

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