Natural burial business to expand

THE man behind Ireland’s first natural cemetery is planning to open up to eight more burial grounds across the country.

Colin McAteer’s Green Graveyard Company has already taken bookings for 120 plots and held its first ever green burial since its eco-friendly cemetery in Killane, Co Wexford, opened earlier last month.

The novel cemetery, where the deceased are offered a green resting place surrounded by native Irish trees, flowers and wildlife, has proved such a draw that Mr McAteer has decided to open similar facilities across all four provinces.

Mr McAteer, from Donegal, said: “It’s proving very popular with people of all ages and religions. It’s clear the idea of an eco-friendly burial has struck a chord with Irish people. I think many people have been waiting for this.

“Eighty per cent of our bookings have come from people from Wexford and surrounding counties, but we’ve also had bookings from across the country, including Donegal and Cork.

“We had our first burial last month — the deceased was a lady who along with her family spent her life designing natural Irish landscapes, including working on Newgrange.”

Natural cemeteries are commonplace abroad, including Britain.

Mr McAteer, who’s from a family of undertakers, believes cheaper burial costs, plus the population’s ever-increasing concern about the environment, justify his plans for expansion here. In addition, he says traditional graveyards are running out of space and local authorities are seeking to slash ongoing maintenance costs.

“I’m in negotiations with two councils at the moment outside Wexford and I’ve already moved architects on to another site.

“My aim is to provide natural burial grounds covering Leinster, Munster, Connacht and Ulster.”

Sitting at the foot of the Blackstairs Mountains, the site, Woodbrook Natural Burial Ground, 15km from Enniscorthy, is large enough to hold 3,500 plots.

But unlike a conventional graveyard, headstones are banned and a native Irish tree will be planted on top of every grave meaning over time it will become a native Irish forest. In place of the marble headstones and concrete surrounds, a small grave marker made from wood or locally quarried stone, no higher than 12 inches, is used.

Mr McAteer also runs Green Coffins Ireland, which supplies undertakers with coffins made from willow, cardboard, bamboo and banana leaf. He also provides eco-urns made from recycled paper.