Final resting place of Limerick-born opera superstar gets facelift

THE final resting place of one of Limerick's most iconic international performers has been given a clean-up, and a lick of paint in the green-and-white.

World famous opera singer Catherine Hayes Bushnell, who hailed from Limerick city centre, is buried at Kensal Green Cemetery in north-west London.

In recent years, her tomb has become weather-beaten.

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Shaun Connery, who hails from Kilmallock, but lives in the British capital decided to clean up the gravestone to mark the relaunch of the Limerick Association in London.

This group exists to support Limerick people living in the British capital, and its members gathered at the graveside to recognise the legacy Ms Hayes left.

Born in Patrick Street in the city centre, Ms Hayes was a world-famous soprano of the Victorian era.

She has been compared to a 19th century equivalent of world famous popstar Madonna.

And Opera Square, the new development springing up in the city centre, is a nod to the district where she was born.

Shaun, a well-known performer living in Shepherd’s Bush, West London, spent two weeks cleaning and painting the grave.

“It was left go for many years. Eventually we decided as a committee that we would do something to make it look better and preserve the stone as well as the tomb and the pillars. We were told the best way would be to paint everything, then put the sealant over it,” he explained.

“When you come here every year, and you saw how badly damaged the grave was, it inspired us to get on with it and do something.”

Shaun, who is the treasurer at the Limerick Association in London, was supported by a couple of other members of the group.

He also erected new chains around Ms Hayes’s resting place in order to ensure the area she is buried remains sacred.