€60,000 for paths in multi-denominational Laois cemetery

Portlaoise's public cemetery is getting €60,000 of upgrades this year, divided across its religious sections.

However more money is needed for the busy Laois cemetery say local councillors.

Laois County Council as owners of St Peter & Paul's cemetery on the Stradbally road in the county town of Portlaoise, is setting aside the money as part of its 2025 Roadworks scheme. 

They will spend €17,000 on the provision of paths and plinths, another €13,000 for more paths and plinths in the Muslim section. The Church of Ireland Section is to have a €10,000 investment on paths and the removal of overgrowth.

Finally to avoid trips and falls, the council will spend €20,000 to lay new asphalt paths on existing paths.

Cllr Caroline Dwane Stanley welcomed the investment, but says the front gate is still waiting.

"I am on the committee along with Cllrs Marie Tuohy and Catherine Fitzgerald. The committee has been looking for a long time to get the footpaths done. A great effort will be made from here on to get ready for Cemetery Sunday in June.

"We were shown plans for the new gate. There  is a problem where cars are getting damaged, could we get funding? We did a church gate collection and the committee are putting it to good use, grasscutting. Our lawnmower is giving terrible problems so we are getting a contractor instead. We have to try get matched funding for this upgrade," she said.

Cllr Dwane Stanley said recently that Portlaoise cemetery which includes Columbarium Walls for cremated ashes, is "nearly full to capacity".

Read more: 'Back on the bottle' as Laois County Council reports on its battle for climate action.

A meeting is to be arranged between committee representatives and Laois County Council to discuss issues further.

Elsewhere around Laois, five other cemeteries owned by the council are getting works totalling €85,000. In the Portarlington Graiguecullen Municipal District, Sleaty cemetery is getting €25,000 to replace paths and plinths. Timahoe cemetery is getting €15,000 for same.

In the Mountmellick Borris-in-Ossory Municipal District, Durrow cemetery will see €27,000 spent to fix trip hazards.  Borris-in-Ossory cemetery is getting €15,000 to remove trees, and Castletown cemetery €3,000 to fix trip hazards.