The lack of burial plots in Skibbereen has reached crisis level, with just 10 or more graves remaining.
THE lack of burial plots in Skibbereen has reached crisis level, with just 10 or more graves remaining.
That’s according to Fianna Fáil Cllr and election candidate Joe Carroll who said: ‘If the public was aware that there are less than a dozen plots available in Skibbereen there would be an outcry.’
Speaking to The Southern Star, Cllr Carroll said: ‘It is ridiculous that people cannot buy a plot in their own locality and that the remaining burial plots are being kept for emergency situations.’
Cllr Carroll said he was aware that the Council is considering establishing a regional graveyard but said: ‘Everyone likes to be buried in their locality.’
By way of example, he said: ‘Skibbereen people wouldn’t like to be buried in Castlehaven and people in Castlehaven wouldn’t like to be buried in Skibbereen.’
The councillor said the situation needed to be highlighted as a matter of urgency because ‘you can’t buy a grave in Skibbereen now for love nor money.’ He maintained the local authority should have acted before this and warned ‘something will have to be done soon because the situation has reached ridiculous proportions.’
Mac Dara Ó h-Icí, a senior executive officer with Cork County Council, confirmed that there is a problem with capacity at both Skibbereen graveyard and the graveyard in Glengarriff and he said the local authority has been looking for suitable sites.
Mr Ó h-Icí confirmed the Council is considering a regional facility because ‘people are looking for unreasonable prices.’
Cllr Carroll repeated his concern that the shortage of public burial spaces in Skibbereen had got to the stage where immediate action is needed.
