THE HEALTH Service Executive (HSE) have asked for further testing to be carried out at a proposed site for a new cemetery in Abbeyfeale.
At this Wednesday’s Newcastle West Municipal District meeting, Limerick City and County Council Senior Executive Engineer Robert Gallagher said that concerns were raised about soil conditions at the site on Clash Road. Further testing was needed during winter months and hoped these tests would be carried out sometime this November.
Testing will also be carried out at interim sites and a location at the rear of the convent beside is to be tested as well.
With around 20 graves left at Reilig Íde Naofa cemetery in Limerick’s second biggest county town, Fine Gael councillor Liam Galvin stressed the need for swift action.
“I don’t know if people realise the seriousness of this issue. We are in real deep trouble,” he told the executive.
“I don’t see that anything has changed in the five years we have been talking about this. We still need a graveyard!”
His party colleague John Sheahan agreed, saying that the provision of a new graveyard must be expedited as quickly as possible. If we keep discussing it one thing is certain — we’ll have no graveyard. We need to put a deadline on this,” he said.
Sinn Fein councillor Seamus Browne complimented the council on its progress to date and felt they now had more options than previously.
“The community in Abbeyfeale have expressed their opinion on the need to be looking at more sites,” he added.
by Alan Jacques
