Plans advance for first Columbarium Wall in Kilkenny
Kilkenny County Council has received approval from elected members to develop a Columbarium Wall Garden at St. Kieran’s Cemetery.
A Columbarium Wall houses a collection of niches designed to receive a receptacle containing the cremated remains or ashes of family members.
In 2021, a survey of funeral directors identified a need for a facility to accommodate cremated remains in Kilkenny, indicating that there had been a significant rise in cremations in recent years, Covid-19 notwithstanding.
Following presentations to the Kilkenny Municipal District Meeting in March 2020, as well as the Plenary Meeting of Kilkenny County Council in June 2021, and the positive feedback received therein, a decision was made to procced with
planning for the provision of a Columbarium Wall Garden at St. Kieran’s Cemetery.
Members were informed that the garden would provide an alternative option to traditional burials, to meet the changing attitudes towards cremation and would also help to extend the lifespan of the existing cemetery for use by future generations.
Cllr David Fitzgerald welcomed the plans, noting that 'more and more people are opting for cremations'.
Cllr John Coonan agreed, and added that giving local people another option for remembering loved ones is welcomed.