Councillor warns of grave situation if no talks over Aghadoe cemetery

LANDS have been identified but not yet purchased by Kerry County Council for a new public cemetery in Aghadoe. However, a warning has been issued by a member of the council that the plan could well become mired in objections when the proposed development comes to the public planning stage.

The proposed 5.2-acre site is located adjacent to the oldest part of Aghadoe Graveyard, and beside and beneath the current viewing point opposite the Aghadoe Heights Hotel. However, as reported in The Kerryman last November, the biggest sticking point in the deal remains local concerns over its proposed location, access to the site and car-parking.

A county council spokesperson told the January monthly meeting of the Local Authority that pending a purchase agreement between the county council, Killarney Town Council and landowners, the proposed new public cemetery would have a capacity for 3,000 burial plots and 100 car spaces.

Now, a local county councillor has expressed the view that when the proposed development comes to public planning stage, that due to a lack of information regarding the proposed development, there would be objections from local residents and interest groups. Cllr Brendan Cronin raised his concerns when he sought clarity of the issues at last Monday’s county council meeting.

Kerry County Council said it envisaged that access to the site would be to the west of the viewing area, adjacent to Bohereen na Marbh. The exact position of access to the proposed new cemetery, according to the council, would depend on the public planning process and road and traffic considerations. And, because the site is contiguous to a national monument, Parkvonear Castle, ministerial consent for the proposed development had to be sought by Killarney Town Council, while a mandatory geophysical survey is currently being undertaken by a private company.

Cllr Brendan Cronin said that there were “serious concerns in Aghadoe about the lack of information” being divulged by Kerry County Council to local residents regarding traffic and car-parking.

“What we don’t want to see is a raft of objections. We want to achieve an agreeable situation. A number of bodies and people are expected to express their concerns.

“Extremely positive and ablebodied activists have asked me to seek information and clarity for them,” Cllr Cronin said.

“I want to see a new public cemetery within the confines of Aghadoe. Unfortunately, when it comes to the planning stage, there will be objections,” the councillor remarked.

Cllr Cronin called for a meeting to be arranged between Kerry County Council and local interests so those directly affected by the proposed new cemetery could be properly briefed.

Cllr John Sheahan backed Cllr Cronin’s request and said that the “story was going round” that land had “already been acquired”.

“Nobody knows the story and people want clarification. Spaces are getting very few in Aghadoe Cemetery,” he said.