Memorial To Be Erected At Famine Graveyard In Athy

Tuesday, 20 June 2023 12:38

By Caoimhe Harney

St. Mary's Cemetery will come under the control of Kildare County Council

St.Mary's Cemetery in Athy, commonly known as the Famine Graveyard, will come under the control of Kildare County Council.

A memorial will be erected in honour of all those who have died and who have been buried in the graveyard over the past 160 years.

Fianna Fáil Cllr Brian Dooley confirmed the news on Tuesday's Kildare Today, "we will tell the story" of what happened from 1840 up until now.

It has a long history, a very sad history, because it was a graveyard that was used in the famine, a lot of the people who died, working in the workhouse in Athy were buried there, explained Cllr Dooley.

"As we went into the last century there were Mother and Baby Homes, many infants were buried there," he added.

Listen back to Athy's Cllr Brian Dooley;

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