Noticeboard at St. Comans Cemetery: 

“That Roscommon County Council supports the provision of a large information board at St. Coman's Cemetery, Roscommon town to orient visitors to the graveyard with a map of the graveyard illustrating the location of different graves.”

Noticeboard at St. Comans Cemetery, Roscommon Town

“That Roscommon County Council supports the provision of a large information board at St. Coman's Cemetery, Roscommon town to orient visitors to the graveyard with a map of the graveyard illustrating the location of different graves.”

The meetings Administrator read the following reply:

 The Council has very limited resources for the maintenance and repair of the cemeteries in their ownership.  The Council is dependent on voluntary groups and the budgeted funding is used to support these groups along with caretaker payments, cemetery upkeep and essential works which are priority risk based across the approximately 100 owned cemeteries.

Several cemeteries in the county have participated in community training projects to survey and record their headstones as part of a community project funded by the Heritage Council and Roscommon County Council. The records are uploaded to  www.historicgraves.com   This information is also available on Roscommon Cemeteries Mapviewer which can be found on www.roscommoncoco.ie/cemeteries This is an online mapviewer, launched in 2019, with all available information on all cemeteries in the county and is under constant update.

The request for an information board at St. Coman’s Cemetery, Roscommon Town, albeit desirable, is dependent on the availability of both financial and human resources.  The project would require a survey of the graveyard with the numbering and mapping of each grave and a digital map of the graveyard compiled. 

The most likely way this project can be completed is for a voluntary group to train for and complete the survey with the support of the Council. In the absence of any grant funding being available the cost of such a project and training would have to be met from the Council’s own resources.

Through the mechanism of the Roads and Transportation Strategic Policy Committee, the feasibility of this project for St. Coman’s could be discussed. In the interest of equity, similar projects in other cemeteries would need to be considered. Input from the Heritage Officer would also be beneficial at the SPC.

Cllr. Leyden welcomed the positive reply on the matter and the training for community groups. Ardcarne cemetery has completed a similar project in 1995. St. Coman’s cemetery is very important to the town and this would be a great addition and a valuable resource for relatives and connections of those buried there.

The members spoke in favour of the motion and thanked community groups and historical societies that have worked on similar projects on other cemeteries. The website mentioned is a great resource and every cemetery should try to be included in this resource.

Cllr. Kilduff spoke on a motion he had previously brought forward to seek a national capital fund for repairs of old cemeteries. The Department had replied that the maintenance of cemeteries was a matter for local authorities but he was not satisfied with the reply.

On the PROPOSAL of Cllr. Kilduff

SECONDED by Cllr. Ward

It was AGREED to write to the Department to reconsider their position on funding for capital works in cemeteries.

Cllr. Leyden thanked the members for their support of the motion and the Council for their interest in working on it and acknowledged the funding that is provided for cemeteries.

On the PROPOSAL of Cllr. Leyden

SECONDED by Cllr. Crosby

It was AGREED that that Roscommon County Council supports the provision of a large information board at St. Coman's Cemetery, Roscommon town to orient visitors to the graveyard with a map of the graveyard illustrating the location of different graves.Through the mechanism of the Roads and Transportation Strategic Policy Committee, the feasibility of this project for St. Coman’s could be discussed. In the interest of equity, similar projects in other cemeteries would need to be considered. Input from the Heritage Officer would also be beneficial at the SPC.