Limerick councillor Elena Secas makes grave action call

LIMERICK City East Labour councillor Elena Secas has called for an extension to the Kilmurry Cemetery, or a new burial ground in Castletroy.

She said: “Local people are concerned that Kilmurry Cemetery is at capacity.  These are people who have lived in the area all their lives and would like to be laid to rest here.”

However, Cllr Secas​ has been told there is no public land available at Kilmurry to extend the graveyard, and at present, all grave plots have been allocated.

She added the only option for additional burials at the site are of ashes.

“This is a cause of distress especially for elderly people in the area and I am calling on the council to acquire more land at Kilmurry or failing that to create another cemetery in Castletroy,” said the Labour councillor.

“The council is in the process of preparing a burial ground strategy for Limerick City and County and the Kilmurry Cemetery must be considered as part of this strategy,” Cllr Secas added.

This disclosure comes almost exactly two years after a council motion to restrict Kilmurry graveyard to local families was rejected.

Cllr Michael Sheahan, Fine Gael, sought to have the grave plots restricted to locals, with no pre-purchasing allowed.

At the time, he warned this was needed as the cemetery has “very few graves left for people living in a “rapidly expanding” community.

In a written reply, the council also expressed concerns that if this motion passed, it could leave them open to discrimination.

They also questioned the definition of the “local” community, and how it should be determined geographically.