Killarney in ‘grave crisis’ escalation

‘PEOPLE WON’T WAIT AROUND FOR NEW GRAVEYARD BEFORE DYING’

KILLARNEY is fast running out of burial space at Aghadoe with just five plots remaining in the only usable ground there at present, according to one local undertaking firm.

Meanwhile, it appears that Kerry County Council has done little to progress the purchasing of land towards a new cemetery for Kerry’s second-largest town.

Cllr Brendan Cronin rounded on council officials at last week’s meeting of the Killarney Municipal Authority over their apparent failure to continue engaging with a particular landowner on the matter.

He read from a letter sent him by O’Shea’s local undertakers. The letter - written by Mary O’Shea - states: “KCC provided further grave spaces along an existing pathway at either side of the entrance gates of Aghadoe and this provided huge relief to distressed families... however, this facility is now nearly full, there are only five remaining double plots (two months approx.) left for burials.”

Cllr Cronin said he was deeply angered to have been told negotiations were ongoing towards buying a new plot, but to find the council had made no contact with the landowner in recent months.

Meanwhile, people aren’t going to simply wait around for the council to sort it out in the as a colleague of Cllr Cronin’s helpfully pointed out.

“People will stil die in the meantime, they won’t wait around for the new graveyard to be opened,” Cllr Danny Healy Rae said.

Killarney Municipal Area Manager Angela McAllen said she took the matter very seriously, giving a ‘personal assurance’ it would be a prioritys.