Concern has been voiced for the inconvenience caused for elderly people visiting graveyards and the resting place of loves ones who have to carry heavy containers of water for some distance to tend to flowers or plants on the graves.
Cllr John O’Donoghue has called for all cemeteries under the care of Kerry County Council currently without a water supply to be upgraded for the benefit of the visiting public.
“It’s a huge issue for some people, particularly the elderly, to have to carry heavy cans of water to the graves of loved ones,” he said.
He said he is aware of a number of graveyards in south Kerry whee the council helped to install harvesting butts which were very eco-friendly and he asked if something similar could be provided in cemeteries in and around Killarney.
“This issue may seem minor in comparison to many of the other challenges facing us, but it is a huge issue for those charged with lugging canisters of water relatively long distances to water flowers on the graves of loved ones,” Cllr O’Donoghue said.
“The provision of a water tap, be it through a connection to the mains, or through the provision of water harvesting butts, does not seem to be an unreasonable request and I ask that the council provide a supply in each graveyard where there currently is not one”.
Cllrs Brendan Cronin and Marie Moloney pointed out that the rainwater collection system in the shed at one end of the new Killarney Burial Ground was too far away from the graves for people to be carrying water and they asked for it to be moved closer to the entrance.
The council said there are 13 graveyards in the Killarney Municipal District and four do not have a mains water supply.
Officials are consulting with Uisce Éireann to supply mains water to the new Killarney cemetery, subject to available funding.
A mains water connection will be installed in Kilquane Burial Ground and Freemount Burial Ground during 2024 – again subject to agreement with Uisce Éireann.
The provision of a water system in Beheenagh Burial Ground, in the parish of Kilcummin, will also be explored this year.
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