Just reblogging this. Today is National Famine Commemoration Day and the bins still remain at the only open entrance to the graveyard. Please, if you think this is wrong can you write a letter to The Matron, St. John’s Hospital, Sligo and make your views known.
A few weeks ago I went to the famine graveyard in Sligo. I couldn’t get in as the gate was locked. I phoned Sligo County Council to see if they knew anything about why the gate was locked and was put through to the parks department. They had no idea why it was locked and no idea who I should contact.
I went into town and called into the tourist office to see if they had any idea about the locked gate. They didn’t and again phoned the council….they got speaking to someone else who didn’t even know Sligo had a famine graveyard!
As I was no further forward I gave up for that day. I did hear from Joe of Sligo Heritage and Michael from Wild West Irish Tours that there was a way into the graveyard from St. John’s Hospital so I returned to find the way in.
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Magnumlady Blog 
Good on you, Val. I met and talked with Larry over the weekend and he said the bin problem is still being dealt with, albeit slowly. He has generously agreed to meet us at the graveyard sometime next week to share some of his wealth of knowledge about the place. In the meantime, I plan to shoot off a letter to Matron!
Hopefully if enough people write things may change.
This is definitely and completely wrong and shamefully disrespectful to all those who should be honoured and remembered, not discarded and forgotten about and locked away to those who would like to pay their respects.
Having the bins there at the only entrance makes it even more offensive and insulting and disrepsectful. I will definitely make my feelings known to the officials at St. John’s Hospital. They really should be ashamed of themselves over this.
Yes it is June. I understand about the red tape but it’s been going on for so long now.
I agree, Val. There shouldn’t even be any ‘red tape’ involved in this whatsoever. This should’ve been dealt with a long time ago. If it has to be locked or guarded (for fear of vandalism or defacing or for whatever reason they’re giving as to why it’s locked and sealed off from the public), it should be only locked/guarded for a certain amount of hours, or perhaps have someone from the council guarding the entrance if that’s what the worry/concern is. It shouldn’t be closed and locked to the public.
I suggested the key for the gate be left at the hospital but this wasn’t done either.
A sobering place, a firm reminder that hunger and suffering cannot be ignored or allowed to continue. Thank you. Susan Kane
Thanks Susan. It really is a moving place.
Thanks for sharing all these wonderful places in Sligo; it really helps me to know that there is so much more to see than I was aware!
It’s truly shameful and inappropriate for those bins to be in front of the famine graveyard all this time. I hope that they are gone by the time I get there! Can there be SO much red tape surrounding what should be a simple move?
There is a load to see and do Susan. I could give you a list 😉
I hope things get sorted there soon.