This article is from page 32 of the 2007-09-04 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 32 JPG
A MAJOR clean-up and renovation of an east Clare cemetery by willing locals has borne fruit.
The last piece in the work jigsaw in recent weeks means Kilavoher Cem- etery now has a new gate, repaired walls and a name plaque.
Plus, said secretary of the Meel- ick – Parteen Graveyard Committee, Councillor Cathal Crowe, “anti-so- cial behaviour at the Kilavoher cem- etery has ceased.”
The graveyard committee jumped
into action after reports that the area was being used for drinking and anti- social behaviour.
Committee members, Fr Fred Mc- Donald, Mike Crowe, Cathal Crowe, Ray Armstrong, Seamus Spaight, Packie Cronin, George White, Mar- tin Manning and Bernard McNamara took on the project and now the cem- etery is back in ship shape.
“At the beginning of the summer it was brought to my attention that the cemetery was being used for drink- ing parties. It was also alleged that the cemetery has been the scene of
debauchery and vandalism. I was even informed by one local resi- dent that rocks were pelted at an old headstone,” said Councillor Cathal Sewer
The work actually began more than two years ago when the committee took a conscious decision to clean up Kilavoher Cemetery.
The historic cemetery was “in very poor condition and briars had grown up to above head height,” said Cllr SOW
Some graves in the cemetery date back to the late 18th century.
‘The summer of 2005 was the first time in a long time that many of these eraves has seen the light of day. At the time of our major clean-up many passers-by remarked that they never knew that a cemetery was beneath all the briars and weeds. Since our clean-up operation in 2005 the cem- etry has been maintained to a high standard by local volunteers,” the councillor said.
He called on anyone who witnesses further anti-social behaviour to report it to either a member of the Grave- yards Committee or the gardai.