*Photograph: Joe Buckley
ONGOING FLOODING on the right-hand side of the car park in Illaunmanagh cemetery has led to staff in the burial grounds unit of Clare County Council committing to investigate the matter.
An appeal for the local authority to complete “urgent works” to address the flooding was voiced by Cllr John Crowe (FG) at Tuesday’s meeting of the Shannon Municipal District.
Siobhán O’Reilly a former staff officer in the Shannon MD and now currently an administrative officer in the Council’s rural and community development directorate said an assessment would be completed.
She stated, “In the event that flooding is observed, the burial grounds of the Council will request the assistance of technical staff in the design office or Municipal District to investigate the extent and source of the flooding and identify a possible solution and the cost of remediating same. I wish to confirm that the burial grounds unit will monitor the matter going forward”.
“Trojan work” has been completed on the graveyard through the extension of the car park, Cllr Crowe acknowledged. He said concerns persist with the flooding. “They are requesting that it be observed and ongoing checks on it to make sure it won’t happen again,” he added of the correspondence from locals. “Graveyards are very sensitive, you would like to make sure that nothing like flooding is affecting it,” the Sixmilebridge native commented.
Seconding the proposal, Cllr Donna McGettigan (SF) told the meeting she has been issued with complaints on the flooding but also positive feedback on the appearance and serenity of the graveyard.
Families have flagged the matter with Cllr PJ Ryan (IND), “there is a huge amount of surface water pooling there,” he highlighted. “Something simple that needs to be done,” he maintained while suggesting a drain would deal with the flooding.
An optimistic Cllr Gerry Flynn (IND) felt the matter would be dealt with, “I’d have confidence in people in rural directorate and overseeing graveyard, they have been responsive and have put in extra gullies”.
Support was also voiced by Cllr Pat O’Gorman (FF), Cllr Michael Begley (IND) and Cllr Pat McMahon (FF).
