Group of parents to oppose Angels' Plot refurbishment

A GROUP of parents whose babies are buried in the Angels’ Plot in Glasnevin Cemetery have come together in a bid to halt refurbishment work at the cemetery.

Lurleen Byrne, whose baby was buried at the cemetery 11 years ago, said she had been contacted by dozens of parents who objected to being asked to remove their personal memorials from the shared graves to make way for a remembrance garden.

She said a petition would be launched in the coming days and a march on the cemetery was being planned.

The Dublin cemetery placed a notice in the national newspapers a week ago, asking families to remove personal effects from the shared graves before October 12th so that the refurbishment work could commence.

When newborn infants or premature babies die, parents can bury them in a family plot or in the Angels’ plot. Up to 30 babies are buried in each communal grave, where some parents have placed mementos such as toys, night lights and wind chimes.

A few months ago, the cemetery announced plans to turn the plot into a remembrance garden, similar to work done at an older Angels’ Plot in the graveyard.

The cemetery said that if items were not removed from the graves before October 12th, they would be put into safekeeping and families would be able to collect their mementoes up to the end of December. “Any effects uncollected after this date will be discreetly disposed of on the cemetery’s grounds.”

Ms Byrne said the parents who contacted her were very angry at the thought that they could not remember their babies in the way they wished. “It is really nice to be down there with all the windchimes and kids’ bits and pieces and flowers on their graves. It shows how loved they were and how much we all miss them,” she said. “We need to stand up to the cemetery as one large group and tell them that we are not allowing this to happen.” She urged aggrieved parents to contact her at angelsplot@hotmail.com so that their views would be heard.

A spokesman for Glasnevin Cemetery said it believed the vast majority of parents supported the plans. “The cemetery has always been open to discussing any issues people have and are active in discussing the renovation with many families the vast majority of whom accept the need for this change.”

He said the cemetery had worked closely with the Irish Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Society on the matter.

Reports that families would be asked to pay €100 to dedicate a rose bush in the name of a baby were incorrect, he said. “Currently 1,400 bushes are planned. Any charge would go towards the cost of the renovation and maintenance of the garden.”