Family in search for location of County Home child’s grave

A woman whose aunt was born in the County Home in Tullamore and died there at seven months old has called on the authorities to release details of where she is buried on the eve of what would have been her 80th birthday.

Ann (not her real name), who wishes to remain anonymous in order to protect the identity of living family members, has spent almost six months trying to trace the grave of her aunt, but claims she has come up against “a brick wall” in her dealings with the HSE and Offaly County Council.

“We as a family believe our aunt is buried in what was classified as the pauper’s burial ground on the Arden Road, and one of the most upsetting things about this whole tragic story is that this burial site is in an appalling state of dereliction,” she says.

It was only when Ann began researching the history of her Offaly-born grandmother earlier this year that she discovered that she had given birth to two children out of wedlock in the County Home in Tullamore.

“We discovered an uncle we never knew we had seven years ago, and then I discovered that my grandmother had also given birth to a daughter in the County Home who died at seven months and we have no idea what became of her,” she told the Offaly Independent.

As a result of extensive research and with the help of the Offaly Archive Service, Ann now feels her aunt is buried in Tullamore and she has been trying to locate her grave ever since.

“My aunt would be 80 next year and all we want to do is stand at her grave and give her the dignity in death that she never got in life, but we are coming up against a brick wall in our dealings with both the HSE and the council in relation to where she is buried.”

“The archivist has already told us that it would be highly unusual if she was buried in Clonminch, given the timeframe involved, so the only other burial ground is on the Arden Road,” she says.

Ann and her family travelled to Tullamore recently to visit the Arden Road burial ground but she says she was “appalled” at the state of dereliction of the site. “It is an absolute disgrace, and it is beyond upsetting for us as a family to think that our aunt, who was just a tiny baby, was buried there, and no effort whatsoever has been made to clean up or look after that sacred burial ground or to honour any of the poor souls buried there.”

She is now calling on Offaly County Council to reinstate the Arden Road burial ground and to release the records of everyone buried there.

“Where is the legacy for my aunt and for everyone buried in that overgrown field in Arden and where are the records? she asks.

Ann says both her uncle, along with her late aunt and her late grandmother were “treating appallingly in life” and she is deeply upset that her aunt is “still being treated appallingly in death” and she wants all State records released into the care of those unmarried mothers who gave birth to children in the County Home in Tullamore.

According to a Survey on Offaly Burial Grounds carried out by the Heritage Officer of Offaly County Council in 2014-2015, the Arden Road burial ground, which is owned by Offaly County Council and is in the Diocese of Meath, was described as “a pauper’s burial ground with no associated Church.”

The survey further described it as having a tarmac/gravel path around the edge of the ground and two memorial crosses.

At the time of the survey, the site of the burial ground was described as being “a wild flower meadow” with a rendered stone wall on one side and with the southern boundary backing onto residential housing. It was also said to have “no road signage” indicating that it is a burial ground, and its status was listed as “disused”.

A short statement from Offaly Council said: "Offaly County Council does not comment on individual cases.

"However, in general terms, where a query in relation to burial records is received, this is referred to the Environment Section of the Council who has responsibility for burial grounds, and subsequently to the registrar/caretaker of the relevant burial grounds for consideration.

"The Register for Arden Burial Grounds is not held by Offaly County Council. However Offaly County Council has contacted both the HSE and Tusla in an effort to locate these records.

"Offaly County Council maintains Arden Road Burial Grounds in accordance with guidance as set out in the All Ireland Pollinator Plan.

"Offaly County Council makes every effort to facilitate and assist the public with burial record queries including access to the County Archives where appropriate," the statement ended.

The HSE also provided a short statement which reads: "The upkeep of graveyards is not the responsibility of the HSE."