Members of Limerick's Islamic community have rejected an offer of 19 graves in a local cemetery because they do not point towards Mecca.
Limerick County Council offered the Islamic Centre in Dooradoyle 19 conventional side-by-side graves at Castlemungret cemetery in Limerick.
However, after studying maps of the graveyard the Islamic Centre rejected the offer because the graves are not positioned in accordance with their traditions and rules.
"There are very strict rules regarding burials in Islam," explained one local undertaker.
"There is only one body allowed per grave, while we allow three. And the graves have to be laid out in a certain direction." According to Islamic burial rules coffins must also be a certain depth.
A request by the Islamic Centre in Dooradoyle for a section of the 10-acre cemetery to be set aside for Muslim burials was turned down by Limerick County Council.
According to a council official, Mr Seamus Hayes, the cemetery is non-denominational and no exceptions can be made.
"They said they were interested in getting one corner away from the general area, but we could not accommodate this because of operational rules," explained Mr Hayes.
"We couldn't cordon off one whole corner of the cemetery. Graves are opened in sequence, and when a grave is opened, the family is given an option to purchase two adjoining graves," he added.
According to Mr Hayes, the council had been flexible and had offered the community 19 graves.
At present, funerals of the Islamic community in Limerick have to take place in Dublin and Cork because there is no approved Muslim burial site in Limerick.