Requests to raise wall at historic site rejected
By Maurice Garvey
SOUTH Dublin County Council have rejected requests to raise the wall at historic Mount St Joseph’s Cemetery in Clondalkin – claiming it would do little to restrict access.
Councillors Francis Timmons and Breeda Bonner were seeking the raising of the wall, in order to prevent vandals gaining entry.
Over the last year, vandals have knocked over headstones and sprayed graffiti at the historic site which is a Protected Structure.
Clondalkin Tidy Towns took over the mantle of cleaning the site, obtaining permission from site owners Kelland Homes in 2013, to restore the graveyard.
At the recent Clondalin area meeting, Cllr Timmons motion requested raising the wall facing onto Monastery Road, due to “ongoing anti-social behaviour and vandalism” at the graveyard.
Cllr Bonner’s motion suggested the raising of the boundary wall at the cemetery should be considered for a grant under the Built Heritage Scheme.
In response, SDCC said works to heighten the wall at Mount St Joseph’s Graveyard “would result in a material change, would not be appropriate, would not be conservation and repair works and therefore would not meet the criteria for qualify works” under the heritage scheme.
“Furthermore, given the presence of two existing opes in the boundary wall, raising the height of it would do little to restrict access to the graveyard.
“The existing fence serves to restrict access to the graveyard.”
