Roselawn Cemetery And Crematorium

Roselawn Cemetery is Belfast's main municipal cemetery and opened in 1954. It is home to the City of Belfast Crematorium, which is located within the cemetery grounds. The cemetery is currently the only graveyard operated by Belfast City Council with new burial plots available. It provides a grave burial service and does not offer natural burials.

A free bus service runs to and from the cemetery and the crematorium. Access to graves in the older sections and many of the memorial trees is restricted. There is no running water in sections U, T, S, V or R. The cemetery site office has a ramp and a low-level counter for disabled visitors. Roselawn Cemetery received the Green Flag award from 2011 to 2021.

Peaceful, well-tended grounds are the theme that comes through most strongly in feedback on this Belfast cemetery and crematorium, with the care taken by the grounds team and office staff drawing frequent thanks. A handful of customers describe how swiftly and thoughtfully staff respond to requests concerning individual graves, among them a family grateful for attention given to a wife's grave at short notice. Helpfulness and professionalism from the reception team, particularly when answering questions about relatives and burial records, are mentioned time and again.

The setting itself also earns praise, with rabbits, squirrels and birds noted alongside an absence of traffic noise that makes a walk through the grounds feel restful. Practical observations include the on-site Reflections refreshment point, restrictions on grave surrounds and headstone heights that keep the cemetery neat and safe, and the fact that burial or cremation is open to anyone. Supporters of a celebrated footballer visit to pay their respects, exchanging directions to the stone in Section S where he lies with his mother. Mourners describe pairing a graveside visit with a longer walk, finding the experience unexpectedly calming despite the sadness of the occasion.