Works underway at Clenor Cemetery

Works to Clenor Cemetery, Doneraile have begun, according to council officials, and will be carried out intermittently, as schedules allow, by the Council’s Monuments Team.

Details of works and repairs to be carried out at the cemetery were issued to Councillor Frank O’Flynn, following a motion tabled at a recent meeting of the Fermoy Municipal District.

According to Municipal District Officer Pauline Moriarty, works on-site include repairs and consolidation to the medieval wall, repairs and consolidation to the tomb wall by the entrance, repairs to the pier following the straightening of the pier, and the cleaning and refurbishing of the entrance gates by a specialist contractor.

Methodology for straightening the pier is currently with the County Archeologist, Mary Sleeman, for review.

‘SLIPPING AWAY’

Speaking at the meeting, Cllr Frank O’Flynn outlined concerns regarding the piers, claiming that they are ‘dangerous’.

“I’d say some of the ground under the piers is undulating and it’s slipping away and people are afraid that the piers are going to fall down on top of someone,” Cllr O’Flynn said.

In response, Ms Moriarty confirmed that reports carried out on the piers have found that they are not dangerous and are not in danger of falling, however are in need of straightening and repair.

Concerns regarding roots from trees, which were cut down previously, were also highlighted, with the council asked if they would consider removing them in the interests of safety.

Ms Moriarty noted that the topic of the tree roots was discussed at a recent meeting of the Monuments’ Team, noting that “digging in an old cemetery is not advisable”.

NEED TO TICK THE BOXES

She stated that the council did apply for Community Monuments Funding last year for works at Clenor Cemetery, however, the application was unsuccessful and it is intended that the council will resubmit the application with associated reports and quotations for works in the upcoming year.

“We have engaged with the community monuments team who will undertake some works and hopefully we will be successful for funding for the bigger works. I am happy that we are getting in there and we are making a start.

“This is a heritage graveyard, we can’t do anything in there without proper method statements, Departmental approvement and all that. We need to tick all those boxes,” Ms Moriarty said.

Cllr Deirdre O’Brien, who is on the Historical Monuments Advisory Committee, welcomed the news of works being carried out at Clenor Cemetery and said she is hopeful that funding will come available in the new year.

“I’m always afraid that things would deteriorate further. If we could maintain them rather than they deteriorate, that’s what I would be trying to focus on really,” Cllr O’Brien said