The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
New information map logs grave plots at Duagh Graveyard
A NEW display unit featuring a map of every headstone in Duagh Graveyard will make locating graves easier from now on, thanks to the initiative of local community volunteers.
“This will speed up a person’s search immensely as now they will be able to go to the map, look up their name, find the headstone number and grid reference and use it to locate graves of interest to them,” said Joe Lynch, Graveyard Committee member.
The research took place over a year and was carried out in consultation with Kerry County Council, graphic designers, and manufacturers.
Mr Lynch added how the map is also a welcome addition to the local history of Duagh Parish as surnames like ‘Bleany/Kerby’ are located in the graveyard and date from the 1700s - surnames that are no longer in the Parish and will be of huge interest to local historians.
Duagh Graveyard is an example of volunteerism at its best and with maintenance works taking place every fortnight from April to October, it’s easy to see why. Moreover, some of these volunteers are now in their 80s and never fail to help out, regardless of the weather, which is an example of the dedication involved.
New footpaths will be laid in the coming weeks that will provide easier access to existing and future plots. This work will be funded by the committee through its own fundraising efforts, assistance from Kerry County Council, and, more importantly, with the help of local tradespeople who gave freely of their time.
“The age profile of our volunteers is dominated by people over 50 and younger people are needed to help out. All that’s required is an hour or so once a fortnight and no offer of help, big or small, will be rejected,” Mr Lynch added.
“The committee is astounded by the generosity of the comTHE munity in responding to our fundraising and requests for help and we wish to stress that none of the recent developments and maintenance work would be possible without support.”