Council gives go-ahead for building of Columbarium walls in burial grounds across Offaly
Council gives go-ahead for building of Columbarium walls in burial grounds across Offaly
OFFALY County Council has given the go-ahead for the building of Columbarium Walls, for the first time ever, in Offaly's burial grounds.
This is a new and significant departure from the way our graveyards are normally run and represents the cultural change which has taken place in contemporary Ireland.
A Columbarium consists of a wall with designated niches into which urns containing the cremated remains of loved ones can be placed.
The units are pre-formed with niches or cubicles that have a lockable door, and each niche can accommodate two urns. Each niche in the columbarium can be personalised to the wishes of the deceased as well as his or her surviving family.
Paul McLoughlin, Director of Services, told the April meeting of Offaly County Council that the existing Burial Ground Bye Laws were adopted in 2015 and since then the need had arisen to amend some of them and to also include new bye-laws. “We reviewed our current bye-laws and compared them with the bye-laws of neighbouring counties, and our bye-laws are substantially very similar.”
He said the first new bye-law to be included is regarding giving permission, “for the first time in the Council's history”, for the building of Columbarium Walls in graveyards.
He pointed out that there have been “requests and representations from Councillors and community groups over the past six years for the provision of Columbarium Walls for the inurnment of ashes in various burial grounds.”
On a separate matter, but also to do with burial grounds, Mr McLoughlin added that unauthorised furniture has been an issue in certain burial grounds for some time and has become more acute in recent years. “In order to give us more power to deal with the unauthorised seating the old bye-law 9.6 was strengthened and now clarifies the prohibition and the conditions – this is now bye-law 10.11.”
Cllr Clare Murray-Smale said she thinks creating Columbarium Walls is a “wonderful idea.”
More and more Councils across Ireland are pointing out that as more people choose cremation over traditional burial, there is a greater need for suitable locations to store cremated remains (urns). Councils are pointing out that in cities like Dublin as well as in other counties available space in traditional cemeteries is reaching capacity, making vertical, space-efficient solutions essential. Columbarium Walls are being installed in regions beyond Dublin, with recent or planned projects in Roscommon, Westmeath, Mayo, Limerick, Kerry, Kilkenny, Laois and Wexford. Columbarium niches are seen as a practical option for families, often costing less than a traditional plot and allowing families to be placed together. Local politicians are calling for Columbarium Walls to be introduced in all municipal cemeteries to “move with modern times” and address changing death care preferences.
In a separate matter, but staying with the new burial ground bye-laws, Mr McLoughlin referred to Bye-Law 16.3 which states, “No person shall use a parking space in a Burial Ground except while attending a funeral or visiting the Burial Ground.”
Another new bye-law states: “All dead flowers, wreaths, weeds, rubbish or other unsightly items shall be removed by the Burial Rights Owner as soon as possible from Plots and disposed of in a responsible fashion”.
A statement with the new bye-laws and signed by the Council's Administrative Officer, Senior Engineer and a Director of Services, commented that “It is considered that the proposed Bye-Laws are in line with Offaly County Council's vision, mission and values and that they will provide a framework of good governance and enforcement to maintain our public services to the current standard, and the bye-laws will also allow for future development of different burial ground supply and fulfil our statutory obligation to provide adequate burial ground spaces within our administrative area, protecting public health.”