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Developers look for buried treasure...

Neil Callanan

Bernard McNamara

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The property market is dead so developers are turning to graveyards as a way of utilising their land.

Clare builder Bernard McNamara has told Fingal County Council he has a "particular interest in establishing a burial ground" at Priorswood House in Castleknock, west Dublin.

"There are currently 37 graveyards in use in the county, many of these have reached or are nearing full capacity," a submission on behalf of McNamara's company Versonwood states.

It also says that the "landowner is aware that the county council has been actively pursuing the acquisition of land for a new burial ground in the area''.

McNamara is not alone. Michael and Tom Bailey, who own Bovale, want to open a cemetary on part of a 106 acre site they own in Balgriffin near Portmarnock. The lands are currently zoned green belt and are located with the outer public safety zone of the airport so "a cemetery would be a suitable use, along with residential below 60 persons per half hectare".

The graveyard would be an extension to the existing 4.2 acre cemetery at Balgriffin and the land would also be suitable for a "crematorium facility".

It says this would "provide for the needs of north Dublin" for a period of up to 25 years. The developers follow in the footsteps of businessman Ben Dunne who planned to open a cemetery in the London suburb of Wimbledon. He said earlier this year that the planners will not now allow a graveyard on the 20-acre site, which he bought for about £3m.