Next to the Glasnevin Cemetery in Dublin, there is a pub called John Kavanagh’s ‘The Gravediggers’, where they went to have a pint after working at the cemetery. Rumor has it that the pub is haunted by those buried next door. 

Dublin is a city where history and hauntings often sit shoulder to shoulder, and few places capture that atmosphere more vividly than John Kavanagh’s, the pub most known as The Gravediggers. John Kavanagh The Gravediggers is famed for great pints of plain and its ghost stories.

Read More: Check out all ghost stories from Ireland

Standing right beside Glasnevin Cemetery, Ireland’s largest burial ground, this family-run establishment has been serving locals since 1833. For nearly two centuries it has welcomed mourners, rebels, poets, and, if the legends are true, more than a few lingering spirits.

Glasnevin Cemetery

The Gravediggers from the Cemetery

The nickname The Gravediggers comes from the cemetery workers who would slip into the pub after long days among the dead. Tradition tells that they signaled their arrival by throwing a shovelful of earth against the wall, as if knocking in the language of the grave. 

Some say the sound of dirt hitting stone still echoes on quiet nights, even when no one is outside. It’s also rumoured that some of the million-plus Irish souls buried next door regularly frequent the pub.

The most enduring tale concerns a silent man in a tweed suit who sits quietly with a pint. He never speaks, never stirs, and when finished, he does not walk to the door. Instead, he fades into the wall itself, returning to the cemetery on the other side. Many believe he is one of the countless souls buried at Glasnevin, unwilling to give up the comforts of his favorite haunt.

The neighboring Glasnevin Cemetery is also said to have some ghost of its own, where particularly the ghost of a Newfoundland dog is said to haunt the place after his master was lost at sea.

Read the whole story: Glasnevin Cemetery and the Faithful Ghost Dog still Waiting for his Master

Today the pub is famous for its stout, hearty food, and authentic atmosphere with no music and focus on the conversation. Yet beneath the warmth of conversation there lingers an unease, as if the weight of more than one and a half million graves presses against the walls. 

If you find yourself in Dublin, raise your glass at The Gravediggers. Listen carefully. The laughter of patrons may mingle with whispers from Glasnevin, and the man in tweed might be seated not far from you.

Newest Posts

• 

  John Kavanagh’s ‘The Gravediggers’: A Pint with the Dead20. October 2026

  Next to the Glasnevin Cemetery in Dublin, there is a pub called John Kavanagh’s ‘The Gravediggers’, where they went to have a pint after working at the cemetery. Rumor has it that the pub is haunted by those buried next door. 

• 

  The Armenian Vampire Dakhanavar of the Valleys19. October 2026

  Said to be a protector of the Valleys in Armenia, the Dakhanavar vampire hides in the caves in the mountains, waiting for intruders to quench his thirst. 

• 

  Connolly Station: The Soldier Who Waits for a Train That Never Comes17. October 2026

  Could the Connolly Station in Dublin be haunted? Some claim that the ghosts of the victims from the Dublin Bombing in world war two could still be lingering near the tracks. 

• 

  The Headless Undead in the Ruffinihaus Courtyard16. October 2026

  Once a place for executions, the place the Ruffinihaus in Munich, Germany is built upon is said to be haunted. It is said that in the dead of night, the undead rises from their graves, still carrying their heads the executioners took.

• 

  The Ghost of Könizwald, Bern: The Ghost of General Robert Scipio von Lentulus15. October 2026

  Where the former country estate Campagne Mon Repos in Bern once was, the ghostly council of the military leader from General Robert Scipio von Lentulus was given in times of unrest. Is he still haunting the Könizwald woods, even after his estate is gone?

• 

  The Alter Südfriedhof Cemetery and the Ghost of the Munich Eskimo Tragedy14. October 2026

  One of the old cemeteries in Munich said to be haunted is the Alter Südfriedhof, or the old south cemetery. According to lore, the ghostly voices of the so-called Eskimo Tragedy are still heard at night.

• 

  The Uhaml Forest Spirit of Without a Face13. October 2026

  In the darkness of night and under the foliage cover of the forest, the demonic spirit of Uhaml is said to roam. The only way to escape it is getting out of the forest faster.

• 

  Gwrach y Rhibyn – The Hag of the Mist Haunting the Welsh Waters12. October 2026

  In the shadows between ghost, creature and witch, the Welsh Gwarch y Rhibyn has been given many names. Like a Banshee she has been said to be a deadly omen, often called The Hag of the Mist because of her presence in wet areas, or the Hag of the Dribble because of the versions where her mouth is dripping with blood. 

• 

  The Hofbräuhaus and the Ghost of A Munich Man in Heaven11. October 2026

  Unhappy with the lack of beer in heaven, the Bavarian angel never returned when sent on a mission back on earth. To this day, he sits at The Hofbräuhaus bar in Munich, enjoying his brew.

• 

  The Demonic Omen of Disaster at Mödling Castle Hill10. October 2026

  Sometimes called the Devil’s Stone, the ruins of the former Mödling Castle is said to be haunted by a demonic bird-like entity, screeching at night as an omen of death and disaster.

• 

  The Brewer Haunting Nockherberg and the Beer Garden in Munich9. October 2026

  Could a beer festival be haunted? Many have spoken about the ghost of an old brewer at Nockherberg haunting the beer festival, creating havoc to retaliate to what his descendants did to his brew.

• 

  The Girl in the Tower of the Munich Frauenkirche 8. October 2026

  After her public death in the tower of the Munich Frauenkirche, many have claimed to have seen the ghost of Fanny appearing at her death anniversary wearing white.

References: