A local councillor has called on Laois County Council to provide a Columbarium Wall in St. Joseph’s Cemetery, Mountmellick, as well as other cemeteries around the county.
A Columbarium Wall is a structure built for the reverential and typically public storage of funerary urns holding cremains of the dead.
Cllr Paddy Bracken was speaking at the Borris-in-Ossory-Mountmellick Municipal District meeting this week.
The Fianna Fáil Cllr said he was tabling the motion due to the increasing number of cremations.
Mr Ken Morley, Senior Engineer said: “The current cemetery works programme includes for a new phase of grave spaces – plinths, paths, access road etc – in St Joseph’s cemetery.
“Laois County Council continues to monitor the demand for inurnments in the county and notes that since niches became available earlier this year in the columbarium wall at St. Peter and Paul’s cemetery Portlaoise, 4 niches have been sold.
“The Council will continue to monitor the demand for inurnments, however, it is not proposed to install a columbarium wall in Mountmellick at this time”
Cllr Bracken said he was disappointed with Mr Morley’s reply, saying a columbarium “should be part of any upgrade to cemetery in this day and age.
“We should have this service available, not just in Mountmellick, but in all our cemeteries.”
The motion was heavily supported by fellow party Cllr, Seamus McDonald, as well as Fine Gael Cllr, Cathaoirleach, John King.
We may not have heard the last of this matter.
SEE ALSO – LoveLaois Podcast: Francie Gorman on his bid to become the next IFA president
