HSE presented with memorial design for St Loman’s graves
The HSE has been presented with a design for a memorial to commemorate the lives of around 1,300 people buried on the grounds of St Loman’s Hospital.
It includes plans to construct a boundary wall around the grave site, where patients of the former psychiatric facility are buried, 10 memorial slabs and a gated entrance.
Burials took place at St Loman’s Hospital between 1907 and 1970, and crosses with numbers identified individual graves, as opposed to people’s names.
The last of the crosses were removed in the early 2010s and the site is now overgrown and unrecognisable as a graveyard. Plans to build a memorial to honour those buried there have been driven through a community project headed by mental health advocate Niall ‘Bressie’ Breslin, Julie Clarke and Kathy Crinion.
They held a public meeting in the Annebrook House Hotel in February to discuss how best to establish a memorial at St Loman’s and met HSE officials at the site on April 4.
Julie Clarke, whose great-great-grandmother Julia Leonard is one of those buried at St Loman’s, said: “We discussed their view of the restoration of the graveyard and our view of the restoration of the graveyard and how it should proceed,” she said.
“A HSE official did indicate they were willing to put a budget towards a restoration of the graveyard. As a result of the meeting, we submitted a plan for the restoration of the graveyard, but we are still awaiting a reply from the HSE on that.”
The voluntary group hope to meet the HSE again to discuss thoughts on the submission in the near future.
A public meeting will also be held in the Annebrook House Hotel on 12 May.
In a statement to the Westmeath Examiner, the HSE acknowledged they were engaged in discussions for a memorial but could not comment further.
“HSE Midland Louth Meath Community Healthcare Organisation is responsible for the HSE St Loman’s Campus,” they said.
“HSE Midlands Louth Meath Community Healthcare Organisation (CHO) can confirm that we are consulting with many key stakeholders in relation to the Graveyard located on the HSE St Loman’s Campus.
“HSE Midlands Louth Meath CHO cannot comment at this time on the Graveyard located on St Loman’s Campus given the need to respect the privacy and sensitivity of the numerous families and past staff.”
The submission presented to the HSE includes the need for landscaping work on trees at the St Loman’s grave site.