Fears of ‘awful tragedy’ at Laois graveyard

A SAFETY check will be carried out on trees at an old graveyard in Stradbally, following a warning that “an awful tragedy” could occur at the site.

Cllr Paschal McEvoy gave the warning at a council meeting, as he asked Laois County Council to carry out a safety check on trees at the perimeter wall of the old graveyard in Oakvale.

“There are an awful lot of big trees along the wall there and I was approached by a couple of people, who said that if one of those trees falls it would be frightening,” cllr McEvoy told the latest meeting of Graiguecullen-Portarlington Municipal District.

He added: “One man told me that it is very, very dangerous. It would be an awful tragedy if anything happened there.” 

Cllr McEvoy said that, while the old graveyard was not in the charge of the county council, the council did have responsibility for safety and a check should be done.

In a written response to his request, the council’s community section, which oversees cemeteries, said that a safety check would be carried out on trees at the old Oakvale graveyard.