Storm damaged grave stones yet to be repaired
The storm damaged gravestones have yet to be repaired. Picture: iStock
Gravestones in a council owned cemetery damaged by Storm Éowyn have still yet to be repaired almost a year later.
Fianna Fáil councillor Paschal Fitzmaurice raised the issue at St Joseph’s Cemetery in Castlerea, saying that because of the storm, a number of trees had fallen, damaging around 12 headstones.
He said that some of the people who owned those headstones had no living family, while others had relatives who were very elderly. He said that “enormous work” had been done by the St. Joseph’s Cemetery Committee, getting all the names of the gravestones affected, and that a costing for repairing those from a local stonemason had also been received.
Speaking to the Herald, the Castlerea councillor said that he was very disappointed that the issue had not been fixed.
“I got all the names and photographs and sent all off to the insurance company, and they said they’d look after it, but they never did,” he explained. “I am very disappointed that they haven’t even acknowledged it.” He said he asked the council to contact the insurer about the issue and pledged to continue to lobby about it.
“I am not giving up on it," he added.
