This article is from page 18 of the 2005-10-18 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 18 JPG
THERE are spaces available at Hlaunamanagh cemetery for families in need of graves, according to Clare County Council. Last week, a family had to move their father’s funeral to another cemetery after being told their local graveyard is full.
Larry Crampton, who passed away last week, was buried at Lemenagh cemetery, Newmarket- on-Fergus, after his family was told there was no double grave available at [launamanagh in Shan- non. There was a single space available, but his family requested a double space.
The decision to move the burial saddened the Crampton family. There are plans to extend Illau- namanagh but this will not be completed until next March. Shannon Town Manager Ger Dollard has apologised to the family concerned and pointed
out that the problem “should not recur.”
‘There are spaces marked. We are gone out to tender for the extension but, in the interim, we can mark out spaces and any sized plot is available,” said Mr Dollard.
He said the caretaker of the cemetery has been made aware of where the spaces are available and, if last weekend’s issue had arisen during a work- ing week, there may well have been a more suit- able conclusion.
“If it had happened on a Monday or a Tuesday, for instance, it would probably have been resolved. We have no difficulty in making an apology. It is a pity it happened and it won’t happen again,” said Mr Dollard.
Councillor Sean Hillary, who was one of those behind the establishment of the cemetery four
years ago, says this is not good enough, as the Geren elKeyemeTeeVUAAWLolnom ENO OVo Tle) Nee
“If it was known that there was a shortage of graves, the Council should have moved rapidly with emergency graves. I am not satisfied with it. This man [Larry Crampton] lived in Shannon for most of his life and a lot of people in Shannon are not happy that he could not be buried 1n the town,” PCM OuUbmsRIUE Dare
He said when it was known that people were keen to buy graves at IIlaunamanagh, Clare Coun- ty Council should have taken immediate action in extending the cemetery.
“The Council is dragging its feet. If the graves are only for emergency purposes, then contractors should be sent in immediately. That is not good enough and questions must be asked,’ he added.
A 25-YEAR-OLD man who stole 12 bars of chocolate from a shop in Shannon has_ been handed a one month suspended jail sentence. Thomas McDonagh, with an address at Bal- lymurtagh halting site, Shannon, stole the choc- olate — valued at €10 — from a shop at Cro- nan Park in the town, on February 26 last. Inspector sKoyne] Kennedy told Shannon district court the choco- late was recovered. Defending solici- tor Tara Godfrey said her client — the father of two young children — carried out an “act of monumental stupidity.” She said it was a lapse
of judgement, one which item usstauoa Koren
The court heard a bench warrant had been issued for the arrest of Mr McDonagh at a previous sitting of the court, on May 12 last. Gda Pat Broderick gave evidence of arresting the accused prior to last week’s court sitting, on foot of that warrant.
Judge Joseph Mangan imposed a seven-day jail term for failing to ap- pear in court in May. He jailed him for a month for stealing the choco- late and suspended it on Foy aTONTW (Oye MmNOer:1 mn OCommnSL R-Y out of the shop in ques- tion for six months and enter a bond to keep the peace for two years.
THE poor condition of the flyover footbridge at Drum- geely is forcing people to cross the dual carriageway, ac- cording to the Mayor of Shannon.
Cllr Tony Mulcahy says the surface of one of the plat- forms 1s ‘pooling’ with water and, as a result, people can- not pass it.
“It is like a sponge and the water is making the bridge unpassable. We are looking for this to be repaired for the past year-and-a-half,” he said.
He believes that the situation will deteriorate further over the winter months and says someone must take re- sponsibility to repair it.
‘Everyone is blaming everyone else. We need to get it fixed, as a matter of urgency,’ he pointed out.