Cemetery footpaths used for graves

The dead are being laid to rest under footpaths in a Kerry cemetery.

An undertaker has trenchantly criticised the county council for continuing delays in providing a new cemetery in Killarney — where only a handful of burial spaces remain.

Mary O’Shea, of O’Shea’s funeral directors in the town, said the council was acting “shamefully and causing undue distress” to bereaved families.

“The people of Killarney deserve to be treated with fairness and respect and to allow this matter drag on and on is no longer acceptable. We need a new graveyard urgently,” she said.

The council has been seeking suitable land for over 20 years. However, the situation became so serious, new graves were opened on footpaths in the area’s biggest public cemetery at Aghadoe.

But, in a letter to the council, Ms O’Shea said only five double plots, sufficient for two months, remained on the footpaths. Families had been relieved when graves were provided in footpaths, as they wanted their loved ones buried in Killarney.

But funeral directors are now facing the same scenario again and will be telling families to go to cemeteries in surrounding areas, or else pay €3,500 for a private grave in Aghadoe Lawn Cemetery.

“This is a terrible predicament for people who are already under enormous stress,” said Ms O’Shea. “It is shameful that a matter which was highlighted in 2008 has continued over the intervening years and still nothing is being done to sort out the grave shortage.”

The issue was raised at yesterday’s meeting of Killarney Municipal Authority by Independent Cllr Brendan Cronin who said he had been “made a fool of” and given wrong information on progress being made by the council in securing land.

Councillors had been told, last year, agreement was on the point of being reached with a landowner in Aghadoe for the sale of land, but nothing seemed to be happening even though another landowner was willing to deal with the council.

“I don’t know what to believe at this stage. I want to know why nothing has been done in the last four months,” said Mr Cronin. Authority manager Angela McAllen said suitable lands had been identified close to Killarney and technical assessments had been carried out.

The matter was being treated very seriously, and with urgency, by chief executive Moira Murrell and senior management, Ms McAllen said.

Meanwhile, a preferred land option which had met the council’s criteria, had been identified and there will be a report for the September meeting, councillors were told