Graves ‘disrespected’ in Bohernabreena cemetery

Graves ‘disrespected’ in Bohernabreena cemetery

By Mary Dennehy

SOUTH Dublin County Council has come under fire for “disrespecting” the graves of those buried in Bohernabreena Cemetery, after local authority workers left the graveyard covered in cut grass.

Devastated families have been taking to the Bohernabreena Graveyard Facebook page in recent weeks to express their heartbreak over the condition of their loved one’s resting place, with some people claiming that ornaments have gone missing and other items have been broken.

Bohernbreena graves June 2016

One Tallaght mother, who visits the graveyard on a regular basis, told The Echo: “People have been left in shock over the state of their loved one’s graves.

“No one wants to be giving out about the chaps working in the graveyard but would it not make sense for the council to give them machinery that collects the grass as it is cut?

“It’s been horrible what people have been faced with when visiting the cemetery recently. People are genuinely very upset and the council needs to be more sympathetic here.

“This is very upsetting for people and the council needs to remember that it’s not cutting a football pitch, these are people’s final resting places.”

She added: “There has been ongoing issues with the maintenance of Bohernabreena Cemetery for a long time, however. The council is not listening to the concerns of families.

“The council needs to rethink how it manages and staffs the cemetery, because people’s hearts cannot take much more of this.

“Families feel that the council is disrespecting the graves of their loved ones – with a number of baby graves also tampered with and covered in grass, which is particularly hard for people.”

When contacted by The Echo, a spokeswoman for the South Dublin County Council said that the local authority is currently in the process of preparing the cemetery for the Bohernabreena Cemetery Annual Mass, which will be held on Sunday, June 19.

She said: “Part of this process is the cutting of grass in and around all graves. Unfortunately some grass cuttings may fall onto the graves.

“We are currently clearing any and all grass left after the recent grass cutting and will continue to prepare the cemetery for the Mass.

“Our aim is to remove any grass cuttings from affected graves and leave them in a clean and presentable condition.”

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