English visitors hoping to visit the grave of their great-grandfather whom they traced to the Mitchelstown area, were saddened by the condition of his resting place when they visited Kilgullane graveyard on Wednesday.
Kathleen Bird, who has a holiday home in Union Hall, and her sister Julia Webber who lives in Devon, were delighted to be united with their distant relatives, the Landers family of Cloughleafin and Ballindangan, with whom they have a common ancestor, their great-grandfather, John Landers.
However, their visit to his resting place was marred by the tumble-down condition of Kilgullane graveyard, which has been closed due to structural damage since April.
“This is awfully sad. It puts a lump in your throat,” Julia Webber said as she visited the graveyard.
However, the sisters were delighted to meet several of their relatives while in the area, including Pat Landers of Hawthorn House B&B, who has an keen interest in local history.
Mr Landers said it was a shame to bring visitors to the damaged graveyard and that the length of time families had waited for repairs, was unacceptable.
Part of the wall of the ruined church in the graveyard collapsed last February following the removal of a covering of ivy, which had been lending structural support to the ruin. In April, Cork County Council closed the graveyard for fear of accidents.
The historic location has graves dating back to the 18th century, including a soldier from the American Civil War and the erstwhile Lord Chief Baron of the Court of the Exchequer, dating back to the pre-Home Rule era. However, several famillies still use the burial ground and have family plots there.
Jim Howard, from Ballindangan, says his mother’s grave is in danger of being damaged by rubble should the remaining unstable wall collapse. “It’s very upsetting,” he said. “I have an uncle who asked to come and visit his sister’s grave recently and I had to tell them it wasn’t safe.”
Cllr Kay Dawson raised the issue at Fermoy District Council meeting on Tuesday. “I got a favourable response and the engineer said works would begin soon,” she said. Cllr Dawson said that sourcing skilled stonemasons was problematic and that, while she didn’t have a definitive date, she expected work to be able to begin on repairs ‘by the end of the summer’
