MEMBERS of the West Cork Municipal District were given an update on the grave situation of burial plots, or the lack thereof, in their area.
Eimear O’Neill, the acting municipal district officer, told the members that there are 25 burial grounds with plot availability.
According to Council statistics, she said the plots available in the Skibbereen electoral area include 1,045 in Clonakilty; 524 in Dunmanway, and 325 in Skibbereen.
Meanwhile in the Bantry electoral area there are 312 available in Bantry, 87 in Schull, and 929 in Castletownbere.
The officer also gave the councillors an update of this year’s maintenance programme. And she advised that caretakers, who are employed by the local authority, carry out their duties outside of their normal working hours.
She also said Cork County Council continues to actively explore options in a bid to secure suitable locations on both Council and third party-owned lands.
In relation to Glengarriff, she said the Council had carried out trial hole testing and confirmed land there is suitable. She said this burial ground is an objective for the West Cork Municipal District over the next three years, subject to funding.
At the Castlehaven burial ground she said land has been purchased to develop additional plots, again subject to funding.
In Skibbereen, the councillors were told that the Council has identified land but its suitability has yet to be determined.
The search for a suitable site in Kilcrohane continues, but in Glandore land has been purchased to develop additional plots.
The Council is also developing a new burial ground at Caheragh, while a suitable site for Schull has yet to be identified.
As for Bantry, councillors were told that there is land available within the Abbey Burial ground and additional plots will be developed as required.
As part of an overall review, the Council is looking at all burial grounds with a view to coming up with a programme of works based on priority, she concluded.
The issue has been raised many times at West Cork Municipal District level and at a full meeting of Cork County Council.
At a previous meeting, Cllr Danny Collins (Ind Ire) complained of a shortage of graves in Goleen, Schull, Kilcrohane and Glengarriff. Other council members have protested about the unkempt state of most burial sites.
