A HUGE team effort involving the islands co-op, Galway County Council, FÁS and the local community has been credited with clearing the way for a much needed extension to the Leitír Mór ‘new graveyard’.

Conamara Area councillors at their meeting in County Hall on Friday said that the ‘wonderful progress’ being made in clearing off and tidying the land was a tribute to everyone working together,

Cllr. Pádraig Mac an Iomaire (FG) said that everyone ‘had put their shoulder to the wheel’ to clear and tidy up the extension site which is adjacent to the existing ‘new graveyard’.

He added that great work had been done by Comhairle Ceantar na nOileán Teo, in co-ordinating the programme for the graveyard’s extension works.

A Part 8 Planning Procedure to clear the way for the final phase of the works – involving the drawing of fill and fencing of the extension – was proposed at Friday’s meeting by Cllr. Mac an Iomaire and seconded by Cllr. Máirtin Lee, and was passed unanimously.

Cllr. Lee told the meeting that a lot of time, work and effort had been put in to clear the site and get it ready for the final phase of the project.

According to Cllr. Tomás Ó Curraoin (Rep. SF), one of the main problems with new graveyards and extensions in Conamara, was in the depth of soil required.

“Furbo [graveyard] did it by bringing in the required fill. There’s enough depth now in Furbo to put three coffins down on top of one another. If Furbo did it, it can be done too in other places across Conamara too,” said Cllr. Ó Curraoin.

Cathaoirleach Tom Welby (Ind.) said that what was happening as regards the Leitír Mór graveyard was ‘a good news story for everyone’ with so many groups and individuals coming together.

Senior Executive Engineer with Galway County Council, Michael Melody, told the meeting that the local authority had investigated a number of possible graveyard sites which had turned out to be unsuitable due to such issues as parking and sightlines.

“There are also issues with costs associated with construction and excavation, and the purchase of lands above their agricultural value. Sometimes, it’s just beyond our resources, but we try to develop one or two [graveyards] each year,” said Michael Melody.

Independent Ireland councillor, Seamus Walsh, said there were real fears with the Cill Éinne graveyard at Kilronan on Inis Mór in the Aran Islands about the risk of graves being washed away into the sea.

“There are a lot of restrictions in Conamara. They don’t have these kinds of problems at places like Glasnevin in Dublin. If we can’t bury our dead and leave them secure, we’d be failing in our duty. It would be a catastrophe,” he said.

Pictured: Cllr. Pádraig Mac an Iomaire…great effort. Photo: Brian Harding.