Demands for columbarium walls to be installed in Laois cemeteries in 2026

It has been proposed that columbarium walls be erected in one of two cemeteries in Abbeyleix in order to serve a cluster of parishes as the battle for these installations continues across Laois.

Columbarium walls are permanent resting places for cremated remains. Currently, St Peter and Paul’s Cemetery in Portlaoise is the only cemetery in the entire county that provides such space for cremated remains.

Councillors have called for the installation of columbarium walls at more cemeteries and graveyards across Laois for a number of years.

Laois County Council's 2026 budget will see €413,000 allocated for the maintenance of burial grounds and €110,730 for service support costs. This is a decrease of €51,000 on this year's budget.

At the council's budget meeting in November, a number of councillors argued that greater funding is needed for burial services across the county, especially for the installation of columbarium walls.

READ NEXT: Plan to demolish vacant Laois pub and build houses instead

The issue arose again at the December meeting of the Portlaoise MD as Councillor John Joe Fennelly raised the motion for the council to erect a columbarium wall at Church of the Most Holy Rosary in Abbeyleix or at St. Patrick's Cemetery which would be used by the cluster of parishes in the Kildare and Leighlin diocese. 

The council has continuously pointed out that only public cemeteries are within their domain and so Cllr Fennelly argued that the cemetery at Church of the Most Holy Rosary is in fact part parish and part council, meaning it could be an ideal location for the installation. St Patrick's Cemetery is council owned.

He added that he met with planners at Church of the Most Holy Rosary recently and he believes it would suit people better to install a columbarium wall here as it is close to the church if there was a service or mass before a burial of ashes.

Cllr Fennelly said: "There should be one in different clusters of parishes. In that cluster of parishes in Abbeyleix, we'd have Abbeyleix, Ballyroan, Ballinakill, Knock, Raheen, and Shanahoe. So we're covering a major cluster of parishes there."

Cllr Barry Walsh supported the motion, saying that he has also been contacted by many locals in that area who want to see this done.

Cllr Walsh emphasised that strategic locations must be chosen to cater for multiple parishes and not just in the Portlaoise Municipal District given that the cost for columbarium walls is very high.

Laois County Council said they are currently assessing the feasibility of providing columbarium walls in selected council managed cemeteries.

They added: "Laois County Council will continue to examine the cost implications of further installations within the framework of the 2026-2029 capital allocation. Only burial grounds owned and managed by Laois County Council will be considered in this review."

Cllr Fennelly concluded that he wants to make sure this is included in next year's programme. 

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme