COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF RATHFARNHAM/TEMPLEOGUE-TERENURE AREA COMMITTEE
Tuesday, November 14, 2017
QUESTION NO.17
QUESTION: Councillor R. McMahon
"To ask the Chief Executive for a report on Bohernabreena Cemetery regarding the following - Total Graves/Plots - Total Graves not yet opened. Please break the figures down between the old part of the cemetery and the new. Also how many plots have been booked/sold in the Old Cemetery which have not been opened? Also is there any way that plots sold in the middle of the last century, not used can be brought back in under the control of the Council? Or are they to be left idle forever? Also based on the available plots left, how many years/months is left before these are all taken?"
REPLY:
"Bohernabreena Cemetery (St. Joseph’s) was established in 1943 and is situated on the edge of the suburban area of Tallaght on the R113 Bohernabreena Road. It is the largest Cemetery under the control of South Dublin County Council. The cemetery consists of Angels Plots, a Lawn Cemetery and the more traditional Kerbed Cemetery Layout.
On average 363 burials of all and non-denominations take place in this Cemetery annually, with 211 of them involving the re-opening of an existing plot. (Based on figures from 2008 – 2015)
There are approximately thirteen thousand plots of which, eleven thousand are developed/used and two thousand are undeveloped.
The Council is currently carrying out a project of digitizing all the purchase books for Bohernabreena Cemetery, which had been envisaged to be completed by Q3 2017. However, due to the condition of books, cross referencing and staff resources, the completion of this project will most likely be in 2019.
Until this project is complete the exact number of plots booked/sold/not yet opened between the old and new sections of the cemetery cannot be given.
Figures shown in table below are based ONLY on data that has been digitized.
| Description | NEW | OLD |
| No of Plots in Cemetery Sold | 1,861 | 3,756 |
| Purchased but unused | 223 | 418 |
Based on the available plots left, how many years/months is left before these are all taken?
The Council cannot give specifics, however it is estimated that there is circa 10 plus years of available plots.
Is there any way that plots sold in the middle of the last century, not used can be brought back in under the control of the Council? Or are they to be left idle forever?
Presold burial plots, which have not yet been used, remain in the ownership of the purchaser and the Council has no legal recourse in this matter.
However, grave spaces cannot now be purchased in advance, and can only be purchased at the time of death."