Ennis residents with family members buried at Corrovorrin Graveyard have spoken out at their sadness with the condition of the cemetery.
The Clare Echo conducted a site visit of Corrovorrin Graveyard along with personnel who regularly go to the graves of deceased relatives. The non existence of signage and the messy entrance which included a loose steel barrier on approach were the first items pointed out by one Ennis family.
“It’s the forgotten graveyard”, one man claimed as he highlighted the hedges that are coming in on top of graves and only metres away showed the huge amount of rubbish that has been dumped on the other side of the hedge. Anti-social behaviour is also taking place in close proximity with cans of beer visible among the rubbish.
Lack of maintenance has upset individuals who have family and friends buried at the site. “There is a historic structure at risk of falling down. There was a right of way on the graveyard side, what happened to it”.
According to one individual whose parents have been buried at Corrovorrin, members of the Environment Section in Clare County Council were unaware of where exactly the graveyard was when contacted in 2018.
Local knowledge is needed to locate the cemetery as according to Google Maps it does not exist. One of the first headstones to appear at Corrovorrin was in 1633 and it belonged to William and Maudin Connell, a husband and wife. Other old graves include those of the deceased in 1876 and 1891.
Contractors cutting grass have been praised for the job they do but the overall feeling regarding Corrovorrin Graveyard is of upset and disappointment. “I hate to see it go down to nothing,” an individual commented.
Clare County Council were contacted by The Clare Echo for comment prior to the publication of this article.
