RESPONSIBILITY is needed for an old cemetery wall falling on loved ones’ graves.
The boundary wall of O’Briensbridge cemetery collapsed at the end of May and has since become a major obstacle for visitors to the graveyard, with stonework falling onto inhabitants of the burial ground. “People couldn’t tend to their graves or go and lay wreaths for their loved ones,” Cllr Tony O’Brien (FF) told The Clare Echo. “Plus the fact that it’s a boundary wall between a private dwelling and a graveyard.”
The notice of motion submitted by O’Brien at the January Killaloe Municipal meeting asked, “That Clare County Council engage with the stakeholders of the O’Briensbridge graveyard with a view to rebuilding the boundary wall which collapsed.”
This “huge inconvenience,” O’Brien estimates to be a couple of hundred years old, with its age being the main cause of its fall. However, he mentioned a struggle in garnering responsibility for the wall’s demise; “People are saying that they’re not responsible. Somebody has to be responsible.”
Leonore O’Neill, Senior Executive Officer, Rural and Community Development, responded, “The Clare County Council are happy to engage with the stakeholders of the O’Briensbridge graveyard.” The Rural Community Development Officer for the area intends to contact the burial ground committee to discuss a resolution.
Content with the response, O’Brien said, “Speaking to the people in the Council and speaking to the local engineers, I feel it’s going to be positive.” “There is engagement now, and it’s proactive and hopefully the issue is going to be resolved.”
“I’m happy that engagement has taken place.” O’Brien has spent the last year advocating for repairs. Prior to this meeting, O’Brien had met with the Clare County Council and O’Briensbridge community groups. “At long last, it’s taken a long time,” he admitted.
O’Neill also brought the council’s attention to the Clare Local Area Grant Scheme, which provides support for community graveyards. The scheme provides support for community graveyards under three categories: Maintenance Works (Max Grant €1,200), Boundary Repairs (Max Grant €10k), and Provision (Max Grant €10k).
The Maintenance Works grant is for the purchase of trees, shrubs, maintenance equipment, petrol, and other items required to carry out the maintenance of the burial grounds.
The Boundary Repairs grant focuses on the essential repairs that contribute to the structural stability of boundary features. Priority is given to projects that demonstrate a clear need for structural repair and a strong potential for improving the appearance and safety of the burial grounds. “Interested applicants should submit a detailed project proposal, including costs and timelines, along with evidence of the need for repair and any supporting assessments or inspections, if available,” O’Neill explained.
The Provision grant goes towards the cost of extending an existing burial ground or providing a new community-operated burial ground, including the provision of a columbarium. Costs can include acquisition and development costs.
Online applications for 2026 opened on Friday, January 9th and will close on Friday, January 30th at 4pm. Potential applicants can submit an Expression of Interest to burialgrounds@clarecoco.ie.
