Eco-burial to be part of graveyard plans

PLANS to upgrade a graveyard in Cork City, which looks set to include the first option for eco-burial by a local authority in Ireland, are gathering pace with public consultation expected to commence shortly.

The full details of Cork City Council’s proposed expansion plans for St Catherine’s Cemetery in Kilcully on the city’s northside are due to be published early next year.

Speaking to The Echo, Stephen Scully, of the council’s parks and recreation department, said the local authority’s ambition is to cater for a range of different burial preferences.

“We intend proceeding with a Part 8 Planning Process for an extension to the existing St Catherine’s Cemetery at Kilcully very early in the New Year.

“The extension, to the immediate west of St Catherine’s, will have approximately 2,000 plots, and a sizeable amount of smaller plots to cater for the interment of urns, given the growing popularity of cremation.

“It is also intended to have a natural burial or eco-burial area within the cemetery. Works will also provide for a substantial extension to the current car park,” he said.

Speaking about catering for future burial needs, Mr Scully said the city council has 13 burial grounds across the city, with capacity within existing family plots in those graveyards to cater for “a large number of either future full burials or internment of ashes, together with a stock of unused plots to date in numerous cemeteries to cater for future demand”.

“The City Council introduced a policy a number of years ago, limiting the purchase of Rights of Burial (plot) to immediate use, with no pre purchase, which has successfully enabled us to lengthen the lifespan and cater for demand,” he added.

Commenting on the plans to extend St Catherine’s Cemetery, Green Party councillor Oliver Moran welcomed the local authority’s willingness to accommodate more preferences, especially the option of eco-burial which he said a growing number of people in Cork are interested in.

An eco-graveyard already exists in Wexford, but it is a privately-run cemetery.

If Cork City was to develop its own, it would be the first local authority in Ireland to support the option.

“There’s a surprising demand for eco-burial being an option for residents in Cork.

“Since the city adopted a policy that it would support this kind of burial, I’ve been contacted by numerous residents who want it as an option.

“I’ve been in contact with residents in Kilcully too and they are very welcoming of the idea.

“Death is unfortunately inevitable for us all and how we want to be treated afterwards is something very personal to people.

“Where we are buried and who with is something everyone thinks about eventually. In recent years cremation has become much more commonplace as an option.

“Accommodating more options now with the redevelopment of Kilcully cemetery is a very natural decision, but still something to be applauded for the city being willing to support,” Mr Moran said.

“The essential difference is that a person’s remains would be left natural and they would be interred with minimal effects,” he said, speaking about how an eco-burial differs from a traditional burial.

“Someone may choose this for environmental reasons, because they feel they would return to the earth more quickly, or because they would simply prefer to be remembered in a simpler way.

“The plans for Kilcully are expected in the new year, but in general an eco-graveyard would look more like a park than a cemetery.

“It may also serve as a place for anyone to contemplate life and nature, with wildflowers and native trees instead of headstones.”

Blackpool resident Mark Cronin is among those interested in eco-burial being an option in Cork.

“I and a number of other people in Cork were excited to hear that the council are seriously considering facilitating those from Cork who would like to have a natural burial.

“There are 270 natural burial cemeteries in Britain with a number of them run in conjunction with their local council.

“So, it is very welcome that Cork City Council will be the first in Ireland to do this,” Mr Cronin told The Echo.

“Myself and others love nature and always thought that it would be beautiful to be buried surrounded by trees and wild flowers.

“Traditional cemeteries are largely barren of nature and involve a big use of resources be it concrete, carved stone slabs, gravel, chemically treated wood, metal accessories and embalming chemicals.

“These are all inhibitors of biodiversity and nature in general,” he continued.

With natural burial, Mr Cronin said, “cemeteries can become beautiful nature reserves where the serenity of nature can fully aid people in the grieving process”.

“We are due to start a campaign in Cork to make aware of what the council is planning to do and hopefully to get a standalone natural burial cemetery.

“We are going to set up a Facebook page as an information spreading site to let people know what natural burial entails and what it looks like in other countries,” he added.

Chairperson of the Kilcully and Ballincrokig Residents Association, Joan Sutton also welcomed the planned extension of the cemetery and the intention to provide for a variety of burial options.

Ms Sutton said the extension to the car park at the cemetery is also much needed.

“They’re going to extend the car park as well which will make an awful difference to the traffic on the road because on a couple of occasions in recent years, the road was blocked up because there was no space for the cars. Sometimes you could have 200 people attending a funeral in St Catherine’s.

“The extension to the car park will make a huge difference to local residents,” she said.