Toilets locked and thefts continue at troubled Portlaoise cemetery
Locked up toilets and continued thefts are causing concern and fear for people visiting Portlaoise's main cemetery.
Portlaoise councillors have now called for a special meeting with Gardaí and the cemetery committee to tackle a range of problems including thefts at the large council owned burial ground, St Peter and Paul's cemetery.
Meanwhile the cemetery's two toilets are locked up, causing stress for anyone attending a funeral or the annual cemetery mass.
Three Portlaoise councillors have called for the toilets to be reopened, tabling motions to the January meeting of Portlaoise Municipal District.
They also claimed that thefts of flowerpots from graves are continuing.
Cllr Caroline Dwane said that an elderly couple who were attacked in 2020 by a man with a knife when driving out of the cemetery, are still too fearful to return to the cemetery alone.
"They were held for ransom and forced to drive the person in their car. That family never recovered, their family have to go with them to see their loved one's grave," she said.
She said that crime is continuing in the cemetery, urging the meeting.
"I have never seen anything like it in the last 12 months, with personal memorabilia being robbed. It's disgusting behaviour and it's caused huge upset. I have asked the council to consider CCTV because that's what the people want. We need to sit with the council director, the committee and the Gardaí and put a plan in place," she said.
Cllr Noel Tuohy, Cllr Thomasina Connell and Cllr Catherine Fitzgerald all tabled motions asking for toilets to be reopened.
"It is a bit ridiculous that we have toilets in the cemety and they are not open, particularly during funerals and cemetery Sunday. It's been tough for the last couple of years, particulary for older people. We are lucky that we have a very active committee," Cllr Tuohy said.
"Issues at the cemetery have been ongoing over the last couple of years. Unfortunately over Christmas we were back to the same thing, people stealing flowerpots. It's very upsetting for people," said Cllr Fitzgerald.
All thanked Tommy Timmons, chair of the cemetery committee for his care of the cemetery and for requesting improvements.
Cllr Willie Aird said there are other problems with waste flowers being left beside a path and taps not working.
"That is vandalism, wringing off the heads off the taps. Catherine is right that a ditch was taken out and palisade fencing put up, we need to screen that off. This is our responsibility in Laois County Council. All the graves are kept very well and great work is done by Tommy for the good of the cemetery," he said.
The Portlaoise Municipal district chairperson is Cllr John Joe Fennelly.
"It is a serious issue that you can't attend a grave without being intimidated," he said.
Laois County Council has agreed to refurbish the toilets.
"Laois County Council has undertaken an inspection of the toilets at Portlaoise cemetery with a representative of the cemetery committee and has agreed a scope of refurbishment works which will facilitate the reopening of the toilets by the committee," engineer Ken Morley said.
Regarding the special meeting, Portlaoise Town Manager Simon Walton said they would organise an in-committee meeting.