POLITICS: A Donegal County Councillor has expressed his anger regarding the condition of a graveyard which prohibits family members from paying respects to their dead relatives.
At a sitting of the Municipal District of Letterkenny yesterday afternoon – Councillor John O’Donnell said that the fact the Old Abbey Graveyard, in Kilmacrennan was closed off to members of the public was nothing short of a disgrace.
He said he had spoken several times to a local campaigner on the issue – Josephine O’Donnell who has been left distraught that she can’t visit the graveyards of her parents and other family members.
Councillor O’Donnell also said the fact that the Old Abbey was opened up for graveyard for mass, and then locked up for the other 364 days of the year as it’s too dangerous – was not acceptable.
O’Donnell addressed the meeting by saying, “The Old Abbey Graveyard is a massive, massive issue in our local area.
“It’s a building steeped in local history and heritage, and to see it in the state of disrepair it’s in is a disgrace.
“We were allocated €7,000 to preserve a wall at the Old Abbey, but we need hundreds of thousands to restore it.
“I’ve spoken to a campaigner on the issue, Josephine O’Donnell several times on it, and I can understand her anger and pain.
“Her parents are buried there, and other family members and because it’s locked up over safety issues, she can’t get down to the graves.
“If it was my father buried down there, and I couldn’t get into the grave, I’d be more than annoyed, it’s simply not on.
“We’re responsible for it, and we need to find some money some road to sort it out.
“We could make it a tourist attraction too, as the Old Abbey is where Colmcille received his education.”
Councillor Michael McBride seconded the motion, and called for action to be taken immediately.
“It’s still an active graveyard, but yet people can’t go into to it, I have lots of friends buried down there, and it’s shocking to see the state of disrepair it’s in.
“You can’t lock your heritage behind a gate, and those family members who have loved ones buried down there deserve the right at the very least to visit the grave – and to keep it in good condition.
“There is a lot of strong feeling over this issue in the area, and we need to draft in people to preserve the old building and repair the damage done.”
Councillor John O’Donnell concluded by saying, “How can we have graveyard mass in it once a year, then close it off to the public for the other 364 days of the years.
“Now I’m not trying to get graveyard mass stopped in it, but how can we tell people you’re not allowed in there, it’s locked up, it’s too dangerous, everything is locked up – then have graveyard mass with thousands in it for one day.
“We’re talking out of the two sides of our mouth, it’s our responsibility to get it sorted, and we need to do it.”
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