Famine memorial cemetery project worth a visit

WHILE on holiday recently in Schull, Co Cork, I decided to join in the first National Famine Memorial Day Commemoration which took place in the Old Abbey cemetery in Skibbereen on May 17.

The last time I was there was about 15 years ago and the improvements made since then have been immense. Wrought iron gates adorn the entrance, which is beautifully constructed. The plaques, the nine famine pits, where up to 12,000 men, women and children are buried, and the paths adjoining them are perfectly laid out.

I don’t know who was responsible for the restoration of the graveyard or how much it has cost, but a huge debt of gratitude is due to each and everyone of the people involved.

The Old Abbey cemetery is firstly a monument to the victims of the Great Famine. But it is also an example to all of us of what a small number of people can do through hard work and sheer dedication in restoring the cemetery to what it is today.

It’s certainly worth viewing if you’re passing by.

Eamonn Halpin

Sweetmount Park

Dundrum

Dublin 14