East Cork plans for the living — but what about the dead?

'We need to ensure we’re shovel-ready for ourselves as well,' says one councillor amid concern for provision of burial space in rapidly expanding East Cork

With thousands of additional homes earmarked for communities along the rail corridor, Cork County Council has been urged to start planning for increased demand for burial space. File image.

East Cork's growing population is already stretching the infrastructure needed by the living. Now there are concerns about whether there will also be enough space for the dead.

While there is an urgent need to supply social infrastructure such as schools, healthcare, and public transport to enhance the growth seen in East Cork, councillors have raised questions about whether existing burial grounds will be able to meet future demand.

Thousands of new homes are planned for Glounthaune, Carrigtwohill, Midleton, and Cobh under the county development plan, which identified these areas along the commuter rail corridor for the largest concentration of new housing anywhere in the county.

The future capacity of burial grounds across the region was raised by councillors in the Cobh Municipal District, which covers Carrigtwohill and a number of expanding communities, including Watergrasshill, Whitechurch, Knockraha, and Carrignavar.

One councillor quipped: “We need to ensure we’re shovel-ready for ourselves as well.” 

The chairman of the municipal district, Fine Gael councillor Anthony Barry, who lives in Carrigtwohill, proposed that Cork County Council "as a matter of urgency acquire and develop a site for a municipal graveyard" to serve the wider East Cork region.

His proposal includes Midleton, which is expected to overtake Carrigaline as the county's largest town in the coming years.

Mr Barry said major housing developments in Carrigtwohill, the planned new town at Water-Rock between Carrigtwohill and Midleton, and thousands of additional homes earmarked for communities along the rail corridor meant the council needed to start planning now for increased demand for burial space.

He said acquiring and developing suitable land for a cemetery can be a lengthy process.

Mr Barry also said there is an increasing need for graveyards to be fitted with columbarium walls to house the ashes of those who choose cremation.

“Things like this don’t come on stream quickly or easily,” said Fianna Fáil councillor Sheila O’Callaghan. "When you see the amount of housing coming on stream, we need to address this and need to ensure we are shovel-ready for ourselves as well."

She said some graveyards in the region are either full or nearing capacity.

Council officials have said that many people living in rural communities like to be buried in their own parishes rather than in larger graveyards away from their homes, which presents a problem.

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Municipal district officer Páraig Lynch said the issues had been referred to the council’s burial ground unit for a response.

In the meantime, he gave an update on burial grounds in the municipal area.

Mr Lynch said a columbarium wall is planned for Whitechurch cemetery, along with a possible extension.

He said the council is trying to engage with landowners in the Knockraha area to develop a new cemetery.

“We have installed columbarium walls at both the Old Church burial ground in Cobh and at St Joseph’s Cemetery in Little Island, and are currently undertaking feasibility studies in relation to the requirement for installing similar facilities in other burial grounds in the municipal district,” said Mr Lynch.