Burial Grounds

Burial Plot Availability

Burial plots cannot be purchased in advance—they are allocated only as the need arises (i.e., upon the death of a person).
To purchase a burial plot, contact the Burial Ground Caretaker for the relevant burial ground. Their contact details are generally known locally, and funeral undertakers will also have this information.
Alternatively, you may contact the Environment Department of Galway County Council using the numbers listed below.

Burial Plot Fees

Standard Burial Grounds

• Double Plot: €726
• Single Plot: €385

Renville Burial Ground (no local connection)

• Double Plot: €1,530
• Single Plot: €650

Creagh Burial Ground

• For plot fees, contact the Ballinasloe Regional Office at 091 509 074

Columbarium Wall and Urn Plot Fees

Galway County Council has introduced facilities for the interment of cremated remains in urns at selected burial grounds.

• Columbarium Wall: A purpose-built wall with individual chambers (niches) for urns.
• Urn Plot: A headstone and grass plot with a stone surround for urn placement.

These options are available through the local Burial Ground Caretaker at the following locations:

• Moycullen Burial Ground (Columbarium Wall)
  Niche for up to 4 urns – €2,000
• Killough Burial Ground (Urn Plots)
  Plot for up to 2 urns – €675

Urn Tower Vaults at Renville

In partnership with Urn Towers, Galway County Council also offers interment of cremated remains in an Urn Tower Vault at Renville Burial Ground, Oranmore.

For more information or to apply for a vault space, contact:
📞 087 223 2572
📧 contact@urntowers.com

An Exhumation Licence is required to remove human remains (including cremated remains) from a burial site. Exhumations are only considered in exceptional circumstances and may only take place in the presence of a HSE Environmental Health Officer. If the licence is granted, all costs for the exhumation and subsequent re-interment is the responsibility of the applicant.

You will need to complete an Exhumation Licence Form which is submitted to the Environment Department with a copy of the Death Certificate. 

The management of Burial Grounds is governed by various health legislation and regulations, such as “Rules applicable to Burial Grounds provided under the Public Health (Ireland) Act 1878” and “Rules and Regulations for the Regulation of Burial Grounds” as amended.   

Local authorities can create bye-laws to manage specific aspects of burial grounds within their areas and Galway County Council is currently drafting bye-laws to manage specific aspects, such as permission for headstones. In the meantime, Galway County Council policy in relation to Burial Grounds is set out in the following policy document: 

The following documents set out the rules governing the use of Columbarium Walls and Urn Plots:

The maintenance and general upkeep of Burial Grounds is carried out by Galway County Council’s Area Offices and/or local community groups. A limited amount of funding is available to the Area Offices to carry out works such as repairing damaged or dangerous walls, removal of dangerous overhanding trees, drainage works or laying of new pathways. 

Burial ground maintenance grants: 

The Council is appreciative of the efforts of local communities who participate in the upkeep of local burial grounds, and the high standard in which many Burial Grounds are maintained is a credit to the many local groups and organisations involved at local level. An annual Burial Ground Maintenance Scheme is available to support local groups with their maintenance and clean-up works at burial grounds. To qualify, the applicant must be a burial ground committee representative of the local area and complete an application form which is available here:

The closing date for the Burial Ground Maintenance Grants for 2025 is Friday 15th August 2025. 

Applications received after this date will not be accepted. 

The type of works which are eligible for funding under the grant are: 

• Planting of trees and shrubs.
• Grass-cutting.
• Cleaning footpaths.
• Purchase of brushes, shovels and other incidental items to carry out maintenance works. 

The following are prohibited: 

• Cutting of hedgerow vegetation between 1st March to 31st August
• Removal of ivy from old church structures, ruins or walls
• Use of pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers
• Laying of new pathways

All applicants and Burial Ground Committees must comply with the following: 

Guidelines for the Conservation and Care of Graveyards:

A Rich Depository - Exploring and Maintaining County Galway’s Graveyard Heritage:

Burial Ground Records in County Galway

Burial ground records are a rich source of data for genealogists and those researching family history in County Galway.

Online Burial Ground Records

Galway County Council Archives provide online access to burial ground records for graveyards in County Galway, with most registers dating from the mid-1940s to modern times.

🔗 Search the Archives Burial Ground Records

Memorial Inscriptions

The Local History section of Galway County Libraries holds copies of memorial inscriptions for various cemeteries in the county. These were compiled in the 1990s by FÁS Galway Family History societies.

Graveyard Mapping Project

Galway County Council’s Heritage Office is coordinating an award-winning project to digitally map graveyard memorials. This initiative is carried out in partnership with Local Development Companies and local volunteers.

You can access these GIS records and search the database using the links below:

• 🔗 Galway Graveyard Search App
• 🔗 Search the Graveyard Database