John Kavanagh The Gravediggers

Dublin. Founded in 1833 when John Kavanagh opened the pub using a gift from his hotelier father-in-law. It is currently being run by an eighth generation member of the Kavanagh family. The pub earned its famous ending moniker because it is built directly into the wall of Glasnevin Cemetery. During exhausting shifts digging graves, workers would walk up to the boundary wall and knock. The bartender would then pass pints of beer through a slot in the wall so the workers could get a drink without officially leaving their posts and needed a discreet pour. In the 19th century mourners frequently parked their hearses outside the pub to drink away their grief. This led to such widespread intoxication during burials that the cemetery committee enacted a bylaw restricting all funerals to mornings only. When the nearby eastern gate of the cemetery closed in 1898, the pub lost regular foot traffic, promoting the owners to introduce alternative amusements like a shooting range to survive. Local legend suggests the pub is haunted by a friendly ghost, a former gravedigger dressed in tweed who allegedly sits in the corner and finishes off left behind pints.

The pub is known for serving traditional Dublin comfort food, most notably Dublin Coddle, a classic slow cooked stew of sausages, rashers, and potatoes.The original taproom features low ceilings, dimly lit corners, wood paneling, brass, and wooden flooring stained with years of spilt Guinness and tobacco. Among the 1.5 million graves in the cemetery are those of revered Republicans Michael Collins and Countess Constance Markievicz. Raise a pint of Guinness to the fallen heroes!