Gardaí are appealing for information after five bullocks were stolen from a field in north Louth last night.
The incident happened beside the graveyard in Ravensdale.
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of the animals or who seen anything suspicious in the area overnight is asked to contact Dromad or Dundalk Garda Stations.
Thanks to Anthony O’Hagan who mailed us through pictures of the blessing of the graves ceremony at the old Castletown Graveyard from last Thursday.
Anthony had this to say about the annual event: “In sharp contrast to the blessings of the grave ceremony which takes place in Dowdallshill cemetery the one at Castletown was very low key with the faces of those attending getting noticeably older and the crowd getting smaller each year.
“Also in sharp contrast to its appearance in recent years the graveyard was looking very well maintained by the community scheme employed there. That this cleanup is being appreciated by quite a number of people is evident by the renewed interest being shown by locals and others in reclaiming part of their family inheritance – taking pride by visiting and sprucing up the last resting place of often forgotten family members.”
It used to be said that you weren’t truly from Dundalk if you didn’t have a relative in this graveyard on the Castleblayney Road.
Pictured is a local priest with Joe Mellon.
The scene earlier this year when a further quantity of toxic sludge waste was dumped at Faughart
A road in Faughart has been closed this morning after a large quantity of toxic fuel waste was discovered dumped outside the graveyard.
It is understood that up to 2,000 litres of the toxic diesel sludge were dumped there, with a spokesperson for Louth County Council informing LMFM radio that the containers are leaking.
The Gardaí have closed the road while the waste is removed, with motorists advised to take alternative routes.
This is not the first time this year that toxic diesel sludge has been abandoned in Faughart, with a similar incident occurring there on February 1st – St Brigid’s Day.
Thanks to Barbara Doherty for sending us on this picture of the Old Faughart graveyard.
The graveyard is best known as being the burial place of Edward Bruce, the former High King of Ireland.
A full list of people buried in the graveyard can be found here.
Picture credit: Barbara Doherty (Twitter)
The graveyard in Dromiskin
Conservation work is set to be carried out at the graveyard wall in Dromiskin after a €10,000 grant was secured for it today.
Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Jimmy Deenihan announced the awarding of grant funding for the wall under the Department’s Structures at Risk Fund 2013.
This funding is allocated to enable conservation work on 45 heritage structures nationwide.
Dromiskin graveyard has historical significance as it was home to a monastery for hundreds of years, that was once visited by St Patrick.
Dromiskin also served as the home to the Archbishops of Armagh for a time while Aed Finlaith, the High King of Ireland and Archbishop Milo Sweetman, are said to be buried there.
As well as the wall in Dromiskin, Rathescar House in Dunleer will receive €6,000 in funding.
Local photography business Pro Shutterblade has taken to Twitter to complain about the fact that Castletown is set to be omitted from Eircom’s roll out of its high-speed eFibre broadband service.
Last week local TD Peter Fitzpatrick revealed that 10,000 homes in Dundalk would have access to higher broadband speeds from August but it appears Castletown is not one of these areas, with Pro Shutterblade complaining that the next generation broadband has not even made it there as yet.
It used to be said that if you hadn’t a relative in Castletown Cemetery then you weren’t really from Dundalk but nowadays it appears that the area is a bit of a graveyard for broadband. Are any other areas being omitted? Let us know…
Previously: Broadband boost for the area
St Patrick’s Cemetery, Dundalk
Disposing of illegally dumped household waste in St Patrick’s Cemetery in Dundalk is costing the town’s joint burial board €15,000 a year.
The board says two large skips are being removed as a result – and there’s a prospect of the others being removed, if the illegal dumping doesn’t stop.
There are five skips located around the graveyard, which are intended for disposing of old flowers, wreaths and grass cuttings, and general waste associated with keeping a family plot tidy.
However, the joint burial board says that the items being illegally dumped there, have included TVs, microwaves, a mattress and even a front door.
It also says that household waste attracts vermin and wildlife, that rip open the bags – causing the contents to be blown all over the graveyard.
Dundalk Town Council’s Environment Section has carried out surveillance and fixed penalty notices have been issued.
An appeal has been issued asking people to only use the skips for work carried out whilst maintaining graves while members of the public who witness people abusing the remaining skips have been asked to report incidents to Dundalk Town Council.
There’s an old saying that you can only be described as being “from the town” if you have a relative buried in Castletown Cemetery.
Whether that’s true or not, here’s a fine pic from Alan Smyth of the graveyard at night.
Source: Alan Smyth (Instagram)
Talk of the Town 