Cemetery deal not agreed by all families
11 December 2009 --
A firm of Belfast solicitors has requested a copy of an
"agreement" reached over the future of a controversial plot
of land in a west Belfast cemetery.
Madden & Finucane Solicitors last night said it had been "in
correspondence with solicitors representing the Trustees of
Milltown Cemetery" regarding an agreement reached this week
between the cemetery, the Catholic Church, the Ulster
Wildlife Trust and relatives of those buried in the land.
Relatives of babies buried in the plot, which was sold to
the Ulster Wildlife Trust by the Church in 2000, have been
carrying out weekly demonstrations at the Falls Road
graveyard for the past 14 months calling for the land to be
taken back within its perimeters.
Earlier this year Bishop of Down and Connor Noel Treanor
publicly apologised for selling off the land and also later
blessed the area during the annual Cemetery Sunday.
This week it was revealed that the entire 5.9 acres would be
transferred back to Milltown Trustees by the Ulster Wildlife
Trust.
It was also agreed that the entire piece of land would be
blessed and a Commemorative Garden built.
However, last night, Madden & Finucane Solicitors issued a
statement saying it represented a number of families
affected by the issue who "were not party to any agreement
reached".
It is understood the 20 or more families - some of whom are
now believed to live in the US - are not members of the
Relatives for Milltown Babies group.
"We represent a number of families who were not involved in
the discussions with the trustees of Milltown Cemetery, nor
were they party to any agreement," solicitor Peter Madden
said.
"These families have yet to see a copy of the agreement.
"When a copy of the agreement is made available to these
families we will arrange a meeting to discuss the issues.
A spokesman for the Catholic Church last night said the Down
and Connor diocese had been involved in an "ongoing process
of consultation with all families and relatives of all who
have been buried in this section of the Bog Meadows of
Milltown Cemetery.
"The diocese will continue to dialogue with those families
to resolve this issue," he said.
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