Grieving families have been left “distraught” at plans to put a cycle lane through a Dublin graveyard.
The proposal from Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council could see hundreds commute via Deansgrange Cemetery every day while people mourn their loved ones.
The plans state the graveyard’s boundary wall would be lowered - but families fear the move will disturb the final resting place of so many who are buried there.
The lowered boundary wall would mean motorists and people walking outside will be able to look into the graveyard.
Rebekah Cornwell, 35, who lost her grandmother Monica O’Byrne in April 2021 has said it’s “unbearable” to think about having a bike path running the graveyard.
Speaking to the Irish Mirror, she said: “We only buried my nanny like last April and the thoughts of having a public cycle path with commuters zooming by, like e-scooters, e-bikes just going by when we’re standing at the graveside mourning her loss is just unbearable to think about.
"Anti-social behaviour as well would probably increase.
“It’s so peaceful. It’s a lovely graveyard. Just to think we could be standing at the grave and anyone could be zooming past and just stopping and staring, it’s horrible.
She added: “I go up to my nanny every week. My grandad goes up every day and just to think if we’re standing there and anybody could come by and see us and not have anything to do with the cemetery, it’s really upsetting.”
Corkman Philip Lecane said his wife Kate, a former nurse and midwife, is also buried in Deansgrange.
Philip hit out at the proposal and said it has left him in “total shock”.
The 69-year-old said: “My wife died during Covid, not of Covid, she died of cancer. For most of her illness, I wasn’t able to get in and see her in hospital due to Covid.
“When Kate died the funeral was restricted, it was only the immediate family and now having buried her, the council are making these proposals to run a cycle track past her grave.
“We hoped after burying our dead that we would be able to mourn them in peace and with dignity. The proposed cycle lane will be within yards of my wife’s grave.”
The cycle lane will mean the cemetery will be open 24 hours a day and many feel this will cause a surge in anti-social behaviour.
Philip explained: “They’re also proposing opening the cemetery 24 hours a day and that alone is asking for trouble because you’re going to get all sorts of anti-social behaviour in the cemetery.
“People who died during Covid are the ones who are buried nearest to where the cycle track will be. They’re the most recent graves. We’d be very worried about damage to the graves."
Susan McGarvey, whose son Callum passed away at 12 following an asthma attack, said she is “appalled”.
Susan, who started an online petition against the proposal, said: “I was at a focus group which was organised by the council on Wednesday and I was disgusted. I actually started to cry.
“They showed us this big slideshow of what the council proposed and I got really upset because they didn’t once think about the people who are mourning.
“There wasn’t one picture of a grave. In the slideshow they just made it look like an absolutely lovely park.”
Aoife O’Connor from Blackrock said her daughter Emily is buried against the boundary wall.
She said: “My daughter’s grave is against the wall they want to alter.
“She was a baby when she passed away and she is buried under where the headstone is. Her coffin is actually against the foundation of the wall.
“It’s beyond any sense of decency and compassion. These are loved ones and this is where we choose to bury them.
“It’s an unimaginable task to have to decide where to bury your daughter but it was somewhere where we always felt it was quite peaceful, very tranquil and that she could rest in peace there.
“This has just come from nowhere really. It would disturb my daughter’s final resting place.”
Families held a candlelight protest at the cemetery yesterday at 7pm against the proposals.
Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown said they were not “proposing a dedicated cycle path in the cemetery.”
A spokeswoman said: “We are proposing better access to the existing area where driving, cycling, and walking is a well-established use.
“This option was suggested after almost two years of public engagement where we assessed eight different options. The purpose of this scheme is to provide access to over 65 schools in the County and providing a safe route along Deansgrange Road is a critical element.
“The existing links in the Cemetery provide access through from Deansgrange Road to the Schools at Hollypark and the green space / Granada football facilities.
“What is proposed is to make the cemetery more permeable by providing a new entrance and allowing users the choice of using the cemetery vs the road way.
“This new entrance has been included in the Deansgrange Local Area Plan since 2010. This plan went through a public consultation at that time and was adopted by the elected members.
“It is not proposed to restrict access to any areas or to designate any areas cycle only.”
A public consultation about the plans which form part of the Deansgrange Cycle Route under the Active School Travel programme remains open until October 27.
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