This article is from page 18 of the 2007-10-09 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 18 JPG
THE STATE of walls in many of the county’s graveyards is becom- ing a danger to life and limb for the bereaved, a meeting of Clare County Council heard last night.
Councillor Michael Kelly (FF) had asked to have a report prepared on the cost of repairs to environmen-
tally sensitive walls and buildings in the county’s graveyards.
He said that concerning a short sec- tion of wall in a cemetery in his own area, he had been told it would cost anything up to €250,000 to repair.
‘This is the most outrageous quote – a quarter of a million for one lit- tle corner of a wall, which should cost €10,000, at the outside. There
should be an itemised explanation of these costs so the taxpayer knows where the money is going,’ he said. Councillor Gerry Flynn (Ind) said that in some cases “people cannot get near their loved one’s graves be- cause some of these old buildings are literally falling down. If it’s a matter of health and safety and they can’t be repaired, they should be removed.”
latency Ble
In a reply to Councillor Kelly, the council officials said that in line with the department’s requirements, the council is mindful of the social and archaeological history of the county graveyards and because of this renovation work is always going to cost more than the normal build- ing costs.