Kilkenny cemetery dubbed 'cocaine/heroin express' as new by-laws adopted

There was raucous debate in County Hall earlier this week as councillors adopted new by-laws for the 14 cemeteries operated by the local authority across the city and Kilkenny.

The implicated cemeteries were previously governed by guidelines, non-binding principles that aimed to provide direction or advice on best practices.

The new by-laws, which borrowed heavily from the existing previous guidelines, are legally binding.

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Offences against these by-laws may result in fixed payment notices or court prosecution with fines up to €2,500 — and the council reserves the right to remove non-compliant structures or items and to enforce maintenance standards.

Whilst the new by-laws were welcomed by elected members, their adoption led to discussion around a number of local anti-social behaviour concerns in cemeteries.

Cllr Eugene McGuinness, who proposed the by-laws, stated that he was ‘sad’ that the local authority were changing from regulations to by-laws but noted that the necessity of doing so as ‘activity in some of these graveyards is way beyond what should be tolerated’.

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He also expressed disappointment that the by-laws ‘are not retrospective’ before stating that St Kieran’s Cemetery in Kilkenny City has become ‘cocaine/heroin express’.

He also raised an issue brought to his attention of trinkets placed on a grave by grieving parents being removed the day after being placed there.

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“This has to be stomped out,” he said. “Walk up there on Wednesday and count the people going up and down getting their fix.”

Director of Services, Tim Butler, stated that anti-social behaviour is a matter for gardaí and added that they have increased patrols in the area.

Cllr Joe Malone described St Kieran’s Cemetery as ‘a rat run’, and said ‘we need to take these people on’.

“I know people who won’t go [to the cemetery] and that’s sad,” he said.

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“The drugs epidemic is out of hand. It’s not cool to do drugs, it’s destroying lives, it’s in the schoolyards, everywhere.

“We should have the guts and the balls to say that. We’re talking about our children, our children’s children. We need to see action to combat the horror of drugs.”

Cllr David Fitzgerald seconded the proposal to adopt the by-laws and asked that cemetery workers ‘be supported’.

Cllr Fitzgerald expressed concern that ‘they could be personally targeted’.

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Mayor of Kilkenny, Cllr Andrew McGuinness reiterated calls for CCTV in the cemetery and asked for an update on the matter.

He was informed that a Data Protection Impact Assessment would have to be carried out for the area and that the cameras that had been operating (since damaged) could not yet be reinstated.

Cllr McGuinness expressed his frustration at the delays in the CCTV rollout across Kilkenny given the substantial amount of money ringfenced by the local authority for it in recent years.

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He also stated that some people who are concerned about ongoing anti-social behaviour ‘don’t want to put their name to a complaint’.

Cllr Seán Ó hArgáin stated that ‘everyone here has legitimate concerns’ before calling for a ‘fuller discussion on the issue raised around drugs’.

In relation to matters related to the by-laws, Cllr Maria Dollard called for a campaign to raise awareness around the new columbarium wall, citing ‘huge interest’ in it.

Cllr Fidelis Doherty noted the importance of reviewing the by-laws should matters arise, whilst Cllr Tomás Breathnach raised the importance of the upkeep of the county’s other graveyards (including those not under council ownership).

Cllr Seán Ó hArgáin agreed with his party colleague, and stated that in parts of Kerry many of the graveyards have display panels where you can see where different families are buried.

He enquired as to the possible merits of having similar panels in graveyards across Kilkenny.

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