Grave concern over Thurles cemetery

A recent visitor to Thurles has expressed concerns about the condition of St Patrick’s Cemetery in Loughtagalla.

Michael Cahill, who is originally from Thurles but now lives abroad, visited the cemetery several weeks ago.

He said that while much of the cemetery is well looked after, around 50-60 graves are not well maintained.

"I was shocked to see so many graves with weeds 2-3ft tall, and I was shocked the cemetery was not looked after," said Mr Cahill.

Mr Cahill said he also visited the cemetery in Moyne, which is said to be very well cared for by locals.

He said the community in Moyne was doing 'a fab job' but 'something is missing in Thurles.

"I don't live here, so it is easy for me to give advice, but should there be a more community effort to look after the cemetery?" said Mr Cahill.

After speaking to Mr Cahill, the Tipperary Star visited the cemetery in Loughtagalla.

Many of the graves were very well maintained, and a crew from Tipperary County Council were carrying out maintenance on the cemetery. However, some of the older graves did, as Mr Cahill described, have tall weeds.

Tipperary County Council says under the Burial Ground Bye-Laws, it is the deed holder's responsibility to maintain a grave.

Tipperary County Council may perform maintenance but only if the condition of the site poses a risk to the public. Individual graves are owned privately, so Tipperary County Council says they do not have the authority to compel anyone to maintain the graves.

Tipperary County Council also says they are making an effort to cut back on cutting grass to encourage biodiversity. Where naturally occurring pockets of weeds spring up, Tipperary County Council will let nature take its course.

Additionally, they aim to respect the space belonging to private owners with minimal interference.

However, should this pose a risk to public safety, they say they will intervene.

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The council say that sometimes committees are formed to take care of historical graves. However, no such committee is associated with St Patrick's Cemetery.

Additionally, certain graves can be a recorded monument, so works would need to be carried out or authorised by the National Monument Service.