No improvement in graveyard condition

A KILRUSH man has once again expressed his annoyance at the poor state of the Church of Ireland graveyard in Grace Street in the town.
Last September, The Clare Champion highlighted the dishevelled state of the historic graveyard. While the church has been refurbished and since 2007 is the responsibility of Kilrush Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, hundreds of the graves at the back of the church were unkempt, while a number of vaults were wide open and could be accessed without undue difficulty.
The graveyard was also completely overgrown and the knee-high grass had not been cut since June 2010.
Last year Kilrush man, Tommy Scully, who has tried to upkeep the graveyard for several years along with Seán Danaher, spoke of his frustration.
He expressed the hope at the time that the graveyard would be cleaned up and maintained and that a caretaker should be employed to do this.
However, nothing has changed and Mr Scully contacted The Clare Champion last week to highlight the lack of progress at the graveyard.
“Right up to this point in time, there has been absolutely nothing done there. Not even the drain was done, which was the most important work to be carried out and since then a wall has actually collapsed and fallen into the drain,” he said.
“I reported this to both the county and local councils respectively, without any satisfaction at all. The graveyard at this moment is a very dangerous place for people. It’s actually in a worse state than what you saw last year.
“The town clerk, John Corry and Gerard O’Malley requested that I hand over all items belonging to the Grace Street Graveyard to Councillor Ian Lynch last February. I did this after I requested that they would be used to carry out the necessary work needed at the Grace Street Graveyard,” Mr Scully added.
In a Kilrush Town Council statement to The Clare Champion this week, the council said the upkeep of the graveyard is “outside the remit of Kilrush Town Council”.
However, the spokesperson said the council contacted FÁS last September and “was assured that a programme of works would be commencing regarding the maintenance of the graveyard.
“The council will follow up with FÁS once again to see what is happening here,” the council’s statement concluded.
As far back as October 2006, Richard Cronin, Clare County Council’s conservation officer, recommended the employment of a caretaker at the graveyard.
“It is imperative that one person be dedicated to the maintenance of this graveyard on a daily basis,” Mr Cronin said in his report.
He described the cemetery as a “recorded national monument”, which included the ruins of a late medieval church.
“Access to the graves is almost impossible, mainly due to the growth of brambles and the uneven ground, which may be dangerous.
“There is a serious health and safety issue for the hundreds of visitors who come each year, trying to locate the resting place of their ancestors,” the five-year-old report added.