Our Story
The Green Graveyard Company was formed in 2009 to develop Natural Graveyards in Ireland. It was established by Colin Mc Ateer who has extensive knowledge of the funeral industry. The idea was simply to offer a service where people could be buried under a tree.
Colin is also the driving force behind Green Coffins Ireland which is the leading manufacturer and supplier of Green (Eco) coffins in Ireland.
Woodbrook Natural Burial Ground was opened in 2010 and was developed in partnership with the FitzHerbert family, and is managed by a local team led by Niall Deacon who is ably assisted by John O Connor.
We believe that more Natural Burial Grounds should exist in Ireland. We hope to open more in the coming years. If you are a landowner who is interested in selling land for this purpose or are interested in exploring this option on your land please feel free to contact us.
FAQ’s
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The simple answer to this is yes, we are probably the most secure burial grounds in Ireland.
The easiest way to explain this is by answering the two main questions asked in this regard below.
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No, the grounds will always remain a burial ground.
When applying to operate a graveyard in Ireland you need to secure planning permission from the local county council. You need to secure a change of land use from its previous/current use to cemetery provision. Once you secure the planning permission and actually use the grounds for burial purposes it is highly highly unlikely that the council would grant a change of land use again—not that we will be requesting it. In the past ancient graveyards have been moved to allow for vital infrastructural projects—but these are extreme cases and certainly not in the open countryside.
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A percentage of all income received is placed in a secure stand-alone fund. The value of this fund increases over time. Once the burial ground has reached capacity this (now significant) fund will pay for the annual upkeep of the grounds. Our Memorial Tree service will also help in this regard.
The council would not have given us planning permission unless we showed them the model we use to develop and secure the burial grounds. It is also worth noting that although we don’t get any government aid to manage the grounds (as a lot of graveyards in Ireland do) the maintenance required for a Natural Burial Ground is significantly less than your traditional (Victorian-type) graveyard.
Reserving A Space Is Easy!
Reserving a space at Woodbrook Natural Burial Ground is easy, all we require is that you follow the two steps. You can complete the booking yourself or with the help of a Funeral Professional.