Spring clean underway at turlough cemetery

GREAT work has been done clearing ivy, briars and bushes at Turlough Cemetery over the last few weeks. The work is being carried out by Damien McHale and Martin Donelon under a TÚS employment scheme.

The last great clean-up of the cemetery was carried out by members of the community in June 1991, initiated by Fr. Michael Faherty, the then parish priest of Parke.  

Over the years a heavy growth of ivy, briars and bushes had taken over in some areas of the cemetery. Heavy growths of ivy have caused some tall headstones to topple over in strong winds and to then be completely encased in ivy.

Strong roots have also displaced headstones. Also the graveyard perimeter wall has been deeply embedded in ivy, briars and bushes.

Excellent work is being carried out by two hardworking, diligent and very enthusiastic workers in a very short time. They are painstakingly removing the ivy, bushes and scrub from the perimeter wall. They have also cleared large areas of scrub and removed masses of ivy from headstones.

It is over 24 years since the last great clean-up of the cemetery by the community and, also at that time, the removal of a collapsing cemetery roadside wall.

It was envisaged then that in a very short time Mayo County Council would replace the wall. A quarter of a century later the wall has not yet been replaced and the remainder of the old concrete roadside wall is crumbling to bits outside one of Mayo’s best preserved round towers, which is situated just 300 metres from the Museum of Country Life – Turlough Park.