Call to upgrade Tipperary's graveyards fall on deaf ears due to lack of funds
Cllr O'Heney also inquired, at the request of the Cullen Tidy Towns Association, that the council install a water tap on the grounds of Cullen Graveyard.
Cullen Burial Ground is one of about 200 historic burial grounds which are dispersed throughout County Tipperary and which fall within the remit of the Environment and Climate Action Section of Tipperary County Council.
However a spokesperson for the council said: 'Local communities are very involved in the care of their parish burial grounds, whether through routine maintenance, active use, or the keeping alive of tradition or memory. The historic burial ground plays an important role in the cultural life of Irish people and represents a focal point in the historical life of a parish community.
'Keeping the burial ground in good condition is important to local people as it reflects pride in their parish and is an acknowledgement of the contribution our ancestors made to the development of each parish. Many historic burial grounds are still being used on a frequent basis for interments. Cullen Burial Ground is no exception in this regard.
'The council recognises and acknowledges the contribution made by such local communities through its annual burial ground maintenance grant scheme, which is administered by each district.
'In particular, it appreciates the contribution of Cullen Tidy Towns Association to the upkeep of the burial ground located in the village. It also appreciates the genesis of the notice of motion.'
However, the implementation of the request would present a number of issues, continued management. In the interest of water conservation, it has not been the practice of the council to retrofit water taps in its suite of burial grounds throughout the county.
The provision of the requested water tap would necessitate an application to Uisce Éireann for a water connection, with the consequential payment of a connection fee and an annual consumption charge - and no provision has been made in Budget 2025 for such expenditure.
Additionally, 'the precedent created by the installation of a water tap at Cullen Burial Ground would lead to requests for similar provision at other burial grounds in the county and Councillor O'Heney will accept that this course of action would be problematic and prohibitively expensive.'
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'I regret that I cannot be more positive in my reply but I have no doubt that Councillor O'Heney, and the other elected members of Tipperary Cahir Cashel District, will understand the situation which I have outlined above.'
Independent Cllr Liam Browne asked that the footpath extending from New Inn village, adjacent to the R639 towards Cashel, on the left hand side of the road, be extended from its current position, up to the 100kmh speed limit sign. The current stone path that leads out to the speed limit was installed a few years ago, through agreement with the local tidy towns, came the reply.
'To upgrade this length of path with a suitable material would be a significant cost, however, it may be something that can be looked at in the future if adequate funding comes available.'
SF Cllr Anne Marie Ryan Shiner requested that the district upgrade the footpaths in St John's Famine Graveyard in Tipperary town. The motion was seconded by Cllr John Crosse.
The St John's Famine Graveyard Voluntary Committee have spent many years looking after the famine graveyard and now need assistance from the local authority to renovate the footpaths, said Cllr Ryan.
Cllr Ryan also asked that the local authority take in charge the famine graveyard as it is currently without official ownership since the dissolution of the former Board of Guardians. 'The committee would like it noted that they appreciate the recent efforts by Tipperary County Council to ascertain ownership status of the graveyard.'
Cllr Ryan has met with Denis Holland and other officials to take in charge the cemetery, and Mr Holland is working on progressing that. Unfortunately, the graveyard has become a short cut on the way from the hills to Tesco, increasing wear and tear on the footpaths.
The municipal district, environment department and St John's Famine Graveyard Committee are in on-going discussions to resolve all of the issues, management replied. 'As soon as a suitable funding stream is identified an application will be made for funding to address the footpaths.'
Cllr Ryan said all those funding streams have been explored and none have been suitable, and appealed to the district and environment section to fund repairs directly.
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Some say this weakness emboldened a resurgent Putin whose stock in trade is testing the red lines of the powerful with a view to taking advantage of weakness, perceived or otherwise. But we must return to the point at hand and that is the looming spectre of starving citizens falling to the ground from lack of food. In the course of three days this week 43 people starved to death. A slice of pitta bread in Gaza is now €4 if you're lucky enough to get it and shop shelves remain barren with The Guardian reporting that flour is selling for more than 30 times the market value. A 64-pack of nappies costs €150, a 25kg bag of flour is going for €425 and 1kg of onions costs €27 according to BBC reporting that also tells us that the UN human rights office states more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed while trying to get food aid since June. Muhammad Zakariya Ayyoub al-Matouq, a 1.5-year-old child in Gaza City, Gaza, faces life-threatening malnutrition as the humanitarian situation worsens due to ongoing Israeli attacks and blockade, on July 21, 2025. Pic: Getty This diary I'm writing isn't a rant. This isn't a judgement call. It's not a call to arms nor is it a quasi-liberal, pearl-clutching exercise. These are the reflections of an Irish citizen who watches the news and changes channel like everyone else. These are the thoughts of a dad who is embarrassed at his reaction to harrowing images as he can (as far as he's concerned) do nothing about it so 'click' goes the remote and it all goes away. But it shouldn't. This week moved the dismal dial even further into the darkness but for whatever reason, most likely historical and inter-generationally traumatic, the images of starving children and their mothers with those plaintiff, hollowed eyes resonated in an even more meaningful way. Remember the Chocktaw Nation, that remarkable Native American tribe who, despite their own displacement and oppression, managed to cobble together $5,000 to send to the Irish people in 1847 just when we needed it most. I wonder is this week a Chocktaw moment not just for individuals like me but for peoples and nations around the world (including so many Israeli citizens) who want to do whatever they can whenever they are able to bring this catastrophe to a conclusion.
