This split gravestone is another metaphor of our sundering with the past. Old neglected headstones abound in our graveyards. Sometimes it is difficult to ascertain the engraved writing on them. Yet at one time, they were a family's link to the past. The graveyard where one set of my grandparents is buried was hit by a landslide some years ago, and a number of the graves were washed into the local sea inlet. Local people worked exceedingly hard over a period of years and their work resulted in the restoration of the damaged cemetery, drainage improvements in the fields and on the mountains and the repair or replacement of up to 20 bridges, along with roads being repaired.
One of the most impressive and unusual aspects of the restoration project was the erection of steel kinetic fencing behind the graveyard and the houses to ensure the best protection possible. The fences are unique to Ireland and were imported from Austria, where they are used to capture snow during avalanches.