Courtney McGrailGraveyard outsourcing forces parishioners miles from their parish
Louise McCarthy
Killarney council plans to buy the town’s only private graveyard to resolve the problem of a full public graveyard.
No space is available for people in the parish of Aghadoe, Killarney town. People in mourning are being forced to bury family members outside their parish or in the private graveyard at a much higher cost.
Independent town councillor Donal Grady said he was left with “no option” but to bury Sylvester, his 70-year-old brother, a few miles beyond Aghadoe earlier this month.
“It was up to me to bury Sylvester. I was left with no choice but bury him outside our parish in Kilcummin. It is very stressful for anyone who loses a loved one,” Cllr Grady told The Irish Catholic.
Brothers Michael and Con Duggan have been running a private graveyard in Aghadoe for the past 10 years. This year the public graveyard reached maximum capacity, leaving parishioners concerned about where to bury their dead.
According to Con Duggan, the land owned by his brother Michael has been sold to the council at a “very affordable” cost.
It is anticipated that, if Killarney town council purchases the private graveyard, there will be burial spaces for the next 20 to 30 years.