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Mum's anger of her angel's grave

Tuesday, 30 June 2009

A BEREAVED mother has criticised Glasnevin Cemetery for removing sentimental ornaments from her deceased infant daughter’s grave. Kim Shortt from Cabra was upset after the removal of sentimental items that adorned the Angels’ Plot where thousands of babies who died before, during and shortly after birth are buried. “They took everything off the Angels’ Plot just before the annual memorial service which was held in May,” she told Northside People. “They removed vases of flowers, statues of angels, globes with angels in them and teddies.” Sadly, Kim’s daughter Jessica was stillborn at 39 weeks’ pregnancy in 2005. Since her daughter’s death, Kim and her family have regularly visited the grave to lay down flowers and sentimental adornments at the Angels’ Plot. She described the shock she felt when she visited the plot for the blessing on May 24. “I got such a shock to see that everything had been cleared,” Kim explained. “Flowers that I had left just a few days earlier were gone. They certainly wouldn’t have been withered or dead at that stage so I can’t understand why they were thrown away. “I think there were a lot of people like ourselves who were very upset and angered by what happened. “We were told afterwards that everything that had been taken would be put back within four weeks.” George McCullough, chief executive of Glasnevin Cemetery, confirmed that the Angels’ Plot had been “tidied up” just days before the memorial service. “Prior to the service the grass was cut and the plot was weeded,” he told Northside People. “The caretakers removed any dead plants or flowers and anything that was in bad condition. “Just days before the memorial five or six recently buried areas subsided so everything that was on the surface went into a hole that was about two or three feet deep. “Those items would have been covered in mud and damaged and they were put in storage and they were certainly not scrapped. “We are really very sorry for any upset caused. It certainly wasn’t intentional.” However, Mr McCullough said the cemetery’s official policy is not to allow any ornaments on the Angels’ Plot. “There are up to 20 infants in each grave in the Angels’ Plot which is about two foot wide and eight foot long. “That means that we have 20 sets of families with emotional interests in the same small grave. “It’s a very difficult and sensitive job for us to try to manage the plot. “Often logic doesn’t come into it when people are emotionally involved.” The chief executive said the cemetery was in a position where they were damned if they did and damned if they didn’t. “If we didn’t tidy up the graves and do the weeding and grass cutting we would be slated and accused of neglecting it,” he said. “Then when we do try to improve and maintain it we get criticised as well.” Mr McCullough said the cemetery plans to plant a rose garden memorial to remember all the infants buried in the Angels’ Plot. “We have restored the other two plots for infants and we hope to do the same with the Angels’ Plot,” he said. “We want to maintain the graves in the proper, dignified and respectful manner that they deserve.” The Irish Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Society (ISANDS) defended Glasnevin Cemetery’s handling of the matter which it described as very “tricky”. “These are communal graves and the reality is that there are many infants buried in these plots,” spokesperson Ron Smith Murphy told Northside People. She added: “Glasnevin Cemetery usually tidy the graves in the run up to the ceremony and perhaps this year they hit the plot harder than they normally would in terms of removing the various memorials.”