BEING buried with loved ones in your local graveyard is something we have taken for granted for centuries.But that could soon change for thousands of West Cork residents after a local authority audit revealed many rural graveyards, under its control, are already at capacity or fast approaching it.
Announcing the need for a major revamp of graveyards after the audit of 86 burial grounds in West Cork, assistant county manager Theresa White said the time was fast approaching when Cork County Council would have to introduce "a hierarchy of locations" for new graveyards.
Council officials have said immediate action is needed to address plot shortages in the Glengarriff, Castlehaven, Skibbereen, Schull and Drimoleague areas.
The council said the necessary development of new graveyards in the years ahead would have to take into account population centres and population forecasts before identifying the best "strategic locations" for future burial grounds.
Raising the spectre that those dying after their local cemetery has reached capacity may have to be buried several miles outside their home parishes in centralised graveyards, Ms White continued: "We will have to bite the bullet. We will have to make hard decisions."
In an attempt to find out the full extent of the problem the council has announced it is preparing to carry out an audit of parish-run graveyards throughout the council area to get a picture of the region’s available burial plots.
Addressing concerns old graveyards would be left unattended, the council said plans are being drawn up to involve local communities and the West Cork Development Partnership in maintaining old graveyards, which it said would be kept as "places of interest".
Ms White said community maintenance wouldn’t take place, however, until the county architect had surveyed all full graveyards.
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