Large headstones banned

RESTRICTIONS will apply to the size of headstones and monuments erected in the main cemetery in Naas.

A raft of bye-laws governing the use of St. Corban’s Cemetery have been agreed by local councillors.

From now on, the overall height of any monument will not exceed 1.1 metres or 3 feet 6 inches above the surrounding ground level – although an exception will be made where a Celtic Cross is permitted once it does not exceed 6 feet in height.

The new rules follow complaints made by some councillors at a Naas Town Council meeting last November.

Cllr. Darren Scully said that while the subject is a very sensitive one, there is a need for continuity in the relation to the size and appearance of monuments.

There were claims by some councillors that monuments were driven on the back of a lorry to the cemetery and put up after dark.

Cllr. Scully said at the time: “It’s a bit ridiculous that people can come along and put up Elvis Presley or Las Vegas-style monuments and all we want to do is to bring a bit of regulation to the appearance of the cemetery for the entire community.

“I have been asked by many people how such huge monuments are allowed to be put up.”

The new regulations cannot be applied retrospectively, meaning that existing structures in the cemetery will be unaffected.

No monument whatsoever can be put up in the Dublin Road cemetery unless the structure has been approved of – in the form of a certificate of permission and applications must be sought in advance.