'Never any trouble before' Laois town's cemetery mass to proceed as usual
Thousands expected to attend Mountmellick’s tradition cemetery Sunday Mass this weekend in Laois,
The traditional annual cemetery Sunday mass is all set to take place as usual in a large Laois town this weekend, with no safety issues expected, despite the recent violence at Portlaoise cemetery mass.
Mountmellick’s annual outdoor Mass will be celebrated at 1pm on July 19 in St Joseph’s cemetery, with a big tidy up well underway by families of loved ones and the cemetery committee.
Cllr Paddy Bracken of Mountmellick Borris-in-Ossory Municipal District is on the cemetery committee.
He confirmed to the Leinster Express / Laois Live that no meeting about security between the committee and Gardaí has taken place.
“The Gardaí are aware of the cemetery Mass, as they are every year. They always have a presence at it for traffic control, they always help out.
“Some people say it shouldn’t happen, but I don’t believe any of it. There was never any trouble before.
“It’s a celebration we have every year. The cemetery committee are very active, they are all volunteers. They put in a lot of hard work. I was just there today, and they had the sweeping machine in, it’s in top notch, we are hoping for a good turnout,” he said.
Cllr Bracken added that The Order of Malta will be present too, for medical attention if required.
“Hopefully we don’t have to pray for fine weather,” he said.
He notes how it is a big day for three reasons.
“The Mass is at 1pm, the All Ireland final is at 3pm and the World Cup final at 8pm,” Cllr Bracken said.
A Laois Offaly Garda Division spokesperson confirmed their plan for the Mountmellick Mass.
“We will have a presence there as in previous years. There is nothing to suggest any added incidents expected out of the incident from Portlaoise,” a Garda said.
It is seven weeks since massgoers at the annual Mass in St Peter & Paul’s cemetery, Portlaoise were terrified when a brawl broke out between some members of the Travelling community.
The event resulted in two hospitalisations of people suffering knife wounds, and four arrests by An Garda Síochána’s Public Order Unit, which was at the Mass in anticipation of trouble. The four people charged are due before the courts shortly.
Concerns at the future of Cemetery Sunday Masses in the county were later expressed by some councillors at Laois County Council meetings.