St. Coman's cemetery approved as location for county’s first ever columbarium wall

St. Coman's cemetery has been approved as the location for the county’s first ever columbarium wall.

A columbarium consists of a wall with designated niches into which urns containing the cremated remains of loved ones can be placed.

At last week's meeting of Roscommon Municipal District, councillors gave the go-ahead for the construction of this storage wall and a reflection area at St. Coman's cemetery in the county town.

Outlining the plans to the councillors at the MD meeting, council engineer John Shaughnessy explained that eight granite columbarium wall units would be built. The units are pre-formed with niches or cubicles that have a lockable door, and each niche can accommodate two urns. Each niche in the columbarium can be personalised to the wishes of the deceased as well as his or her surviving family.

The development will include a reflection area of granite paving and silver chip coated asphalt with granite benches, as well as low maintenance evergreen low-level hedging surrounding the walls and reflection area. The columbarium will be located within the new graveyard area, approximately 150 metres from the front entrance main gate, east of the main access roadway. It will be the first of its kind in County Roscommon though there are plans for further developments across the county.

Welcomed by councillors, the columbarium will provide an alternative option to burials plots for interment of cremated remains, which is becoming increasingly common in Ireland.

The proposal was welcomed by councillors. MD Cathaoirleach Paschal Fitzmaurice said that many parishes were seeking to install columbarium walls. In terms of the St Coman’s Cemetery development, he stressed that the area should not become a turning point for cars.

Cllr Marty McDermott said the columbarium wall would provide families with options during bereavements, and was happy to support the proposal. His Fianna Fáil colleague, Cllr Larry Brennan said that cremations were becoming increasingly popular. Independent Cllr Michael Holland also welcomed the project and he was informed that the development was open to all.

Fine Gael Cllr Ruth Connolly Conboy supported the proposal. “I really appreciate that the option is there for people in challenging circumstances,” she said. When asked, Mr Shaughnessy said it was expected that the project would be built within this year, and that the council would be very “selective” in the tendering process. It would also be very mindful of the nearby protected structures such as the lodge and monuments.