Historic Bodenstown Graveyard in Kildare is ‘nearly full’

Burial spaces are fast diminishing at a historic County Kildare burial ground.

Bodenstown Graveyard, known internationally as the burial place of Irish patriot Wolfe Tone, is almost at capacity.

Kildare County council say less than 10 plots remain

Tone was one of the leaders of the 1798 rebellion and he died in prison in November of that year.

The Sallins graveyard is also home to a stone church which dates to before 1352, and since 1922 various political parties (including Sinn Féin and Fianna Fáil) and groups have made annual pilgrimages to the graveyard.

Cllr Carmel Kelly is concerned about the impending lack of space.

“Even without being in the midst of a pandemic, where our loved ones are buried is a sensitive, personal and highly emotional decision. We Irish are admired for how we deal with death, funerals and burials. A funeral with a burial service allows us to mourn the loss of a loved one and get closure. Afterwards, visiting the grave of a loved one often affords comfort and peace that cannot be got anywhere else.

“That is why in Ireland, you will find graveyards in every village and town, they are local, they are within walking distance; visiting the grave is sacrosanct and in better weather people love to be able to walk to visit the graveyard,” said Cllr Kelly.

The councillor added: “I couldn’t even begin to understand the hurt and the extreme pain it could cause to a neighbour here in Sallins if they had to be told that there was no plot left for their loved one in Bodenstown.”

She said Kildare County council is aware of the problem and a staff member visited the site where “we were able to identify a few more spaces which should help alleviate the issue in the very short term”.

However, he added, it is imperative that work on the new graveyard starts as soon as these Level 5 restrictions are lifted.

“I have spoken with one of the directors of the company which will be building the new graveyard at Bodenstown, he has assured me that the company is keen to get started as soon as current restrictions allow.”

Cllr Kelly was referring to plans for a privately operated cemetery nearby, which have been approved.

However Dep James Lawless says more plots may become available because they’ve been bought by people who have passed away elsewhere.

He also pointed out that the development plan for Sallins would provide for another cemetery in a different location and he feels the scale of the planned privately run facility “is probably in excess of current or future needs.”

He added: “we don’t have to be fixated on extending it where it is”.