A huge row has been sparked in Donegal Town after a family erected a 15ft headstone and tomb at Clar Graveyard.
The memorial to cancer-victim Charlie McDonagh features stone carvings of the 21-year-old, his car, phone, sunglasses, Rolex watch, cologne and even his favourite tipple.
The memorial, which cost an estimated €150,000, was erected in the graveyard two weeks ago.
Complaints about the towering 15ft memorial, visible from nearly a kilometre away, have been raised with councillors, the local priest and the family of Charlie.
Some locals have even threatened to boycott going to mass at St Agatha’s Church because of the erection of the huge memorial which dwarfs other graves.
They have also asked how the family were allowed to purchase three grave plots for the massive memorial when they claim they are only allowed top purchase one.
But Charlie’s heartbroken parents Martin and Kathleen McDonagh say they just want to honour and remember their late son.
“I want people to understand that my son is lying there, and that is his place and our family place as much as it is anyone’s place,’ said Martin.
Martin added that his son has already been insulted with lots of online abuse.
Martin told the Irish Sun “People can have their problems with the grave and they can say what they like about me, but the things being said about my son are not right.
“We see people calling it a ‘knacker’s grave’ and ‘tasteless’ and it’s very hurtful for us as a family.”
For full story see https://www.thesun.ie/news/12745257/hateful-abuse-hurtful-cancer-victims-family-locals-boycott-church/
