Angels' Plot parents objecting to renovation halt court action

THE PARENTS’ group objecting to the renovation of the Angels’ Plot in Glasnevin Cemetery has postponed its application for a court injunction to halt works, in an attempt to reach agreement with the cemetery.

The High Court application by the Angels Forever action group was due to go ahead at 2pm yesterday but the group said it had received a letter from the cemetery earlier yesterday setting out its case. Angels Forever wished to respond and make a final attempt to resolve the dispute.

Lurleen Byrne, spokeswoman for the group, said its legal team was writing back, asking for confirmation that works would be suspended until a full independent public consultation and mediation had taken place.

“If this confirmation is not received by return then we will be meeting our legal representatives again in the High Court tomorrow today] in order to make the application for an injunction,” she said.

The group is objecting to plans to create a remembrance garden at the plot of communal baby and infant graves. It would involve grassing over the graves, planting rose beds and providing seating.

Glasnevin Trust, which operates the cemetery, said the plans had the support of the vast majority of people but Angels Forever said it had been contacted by hundreds of parents, distressed at being asked to remove their personal mementos from the graves.

The Dublin cemetery placed a notice in newspapers more than a fortnight ago, asking families to remove personal effects from the shared graves before October 12th, so that the refurbishment work could get under way.

Last week it said the works would not begin for a couple of weeks “to allow those families who still have concerns to discuss them with the cemetery or Isands [Irish Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Society]”.

There are 40,000 burials in shared graves in the Angels’ Plot, with up to 30 babies in each grave. Some parents have placed mementos such as toys, plaques and wind chimes at the graves. The cemetery argued that this was upsetting for some families who felt their babies’ graves were being taken over by others.