City needs new site for cemetery – at €2m cost

A new cemetery will need to be provided in the city within the next three years at a cost of around €2 million, according to the local authority.

City Chief Executive Brendan McGrath said this week that the Council is continuing its search for a suitable site.

He said that no funding is available for the €2m project – but money will be set aside in the local authority budget and from the sale of the Council’s leasehold interest in the Royal Tara site in Mervue.

“Galway City requires a new burial ground to be provided within three years at an estimated cost of up to €2 million, for which no funding stream is available and which will ultimately have to be funded through the revenue account.

“A provision was set aside in 2015 of €100,000, a further provision of €200,000 is proposed in the 2016 budget.

“The Council has agreed to dispose of its leasehold interest in the Royal Tara site for a sum of €535,000.

“These monies will be applied to the provision of the city’s new burial ground, resulting in an available fund at the end of 2016 of €835,000, and ongoing provision in future revenue budgets will be required.

“The remaining funds will come from the 2017 and 2018 budgets,” said Mr McGrath.

The Council has been attempting for several years to source land for use as a new cemetery. Rahoon Cemetery has already been extended into land acquired by the Council, but the New Cemetery at Bohermore has only a limited capacity and will reach its capacity within three years.