Cemetries are a rich source of heritage, a seminar on the care of graves will hear today.
The seminar, organised by the heritage and water services department of Kerry County Council, with contributions from Dúchas and the Heritage Council, is designed to raise awareness among community groups, caretakers, clergy and public representatives of the importance of old graveyards in particular.
November 1st and 2nd - All Saints Day and All Souls Day - are traditionally set aside for visits to graveyards.
"It is so important communities look after and clean up graveyards. This is after all where their ancestors are buried. But they need to know what they cannot and can do. Graveyards are a rich source of heritage and many of the older ones date to the pre-Christian era," Ms Una Cosgrave, heritage officer with Kerry County Council, explained.
West Kerry alone had more ecclesiastical sites per square metre than anywhere else in Europe, she said. The quality of some sites was "outstanding".
Some 82 of the 119 publicly managed burial grounds in Kerry are of archaeological significance and their preservation has become one of the main concerns of Kerry council in recent years, said Mr Colm Mangan, executive engineer in charge of the burial grounds.
With the advent of intensive farming, graveyards are often the last refuges and the only repositories of rare plants and animals, said Mr Pat Foley of Dúchas, who will speak about "The Graveyard - a unique wildlife habitat". Ivy-covered walls may be the home of bats and barn owls, while tall trees provide nesting sites for kestrels, sparrow-haws and jackdaws.
Dúchas advises that shrubbery be removed carefully and strongly advises against the use of weed killers.
The burning of vegetation on site can seriously damage buildings and gravestones, according to a Dúchas booklet The Care and Conservation of Graveyards.
Today's seminar will also hear that using sandblasting or wire brushes on headstones is not a good idea. "These are a tremendous source of information for genealogists," Ms Cosgrave said.