Appeal for action on flooded graveyards

A COUNCILLOR whose parents are buried in north Sligo has appealed to Sligo County Council to finally resolve issues with flooding in a graveyard and by doing so to “give the dead the respect they are due”.

Cllr Rosaleen O’Grady made the appeal at the January meeting of Sligo County Council where she outlined how frequently she has been told about coffins being lowered into flooded graves or families having to have water pumped out of graves before they can bury a loved one.

She said she was aware there were at least three cemeteries in Sligo where graves were flooding during heavy rain. She said she wanted to specifically single out Ahanlish, Grange because she had “first-hand knowledge” of the problem there.

She explained that her parents were from north Sligo, and she visited their graves regularly.

On those visits she is regularly approached by people concerned with the flooding issue in Ahanlish.

“It’s very sad to see a family interring a relative having to pump water out of a grave before they put their loved one in the grave. I am appealing to the Executive of Sligo County Council that this will be rectified.

“I was told by a builder that it was ‘quite simple’ to sort the problem using a small digger.

“He said very little would required to put it right.

“I am appealing for this issue to be resolved, it has been going around this table for many years and I am aware there have been issues that made it difficult to progress, but I trust a review will be done and that we will give the dead the respect they are due, and not be putting them into a grave that is full of water,” she said.

She added, “It’s time we would give the dead the respect they are due and not be putting them into a flooded grave.” be

An official Council response to her motion stated that a review of burial grounds is being undertaken in 2024 by the Council. Any issues relating to flooding will be examined at that stage.

Cllr Thomas Walsh explained there were “issues” outside the local authority’s control, adding there were simple solutions, but there are “sensitivities which we haven't as yet, managed to sort out”.

Cllr Marie Casserly, also supporting the motion, said until there is a new graveyard in north Sligo that remediation work, which is very sensitive, will ensure that people can still continue to bury their loved ones here until there is a new graveyard.”

Cllr Michael Clarke said it was a county wide issue, listing Templeboy, Easkey, Skreen and Dromard as other places where the same problem with flooding persisted. “Our commitment to graveyards is weak, our budget for graveyards is very small and it is something we should look at when considering our budget for the year,” he said.

Cllr O’Grady thanked colleagues for their support, she understood it was a sensitive issue but felt something needs to be done, hence her motion highlighting the problem which members supported unanimously.