Castlerock Presbyterian Church,

Downhill Burial Ground - Rules

Adopted by the Congregational Committee on 6th May 2021

Who may purchase and use a burial plot

Downhill Burial Ground is the property of Castlerock Presbyterian Church and is reserved only for the use of
members of the congregation, past and present, for interment of human remains only.

For the purpose of the Burial Ground rules, a member of the congregation is defined as a communicant member or adherent who has regularly attended worship and contributed regularly to congregational funds.

The mere fact that any person has ancestors or relatives buried in the burial ground, shall not of itself give any right to purchase a burial plot.

A registered plot holder has permission to bury an immediate family member in this grave, subject to any
charges outlined in these rules. An immediate family member is defined as husband, wife, mother, father, son, daughter, brother or sister.

Permission to purchase

Anyone wishing to reserve or purchase a grave plot must seek the permission of the Congregational Committee. If this is not possible, permission must be sought from the Burial Ground Sub-committee, in consultation with the Committee Secretary and Minister or Clerk of Session, on behalf of the Congregational Committee.

No more than 2 plots may currently be purchased per immediate family.

In circumstances where permission of the Congregational Committee is not possible, only 1 plot may be purchased at that time.
Permission to purchase another plot must then be sought in the normal way at a later date from the Congregational Committee.

Fees

These will be set and published annually by the Congregational Committee.

When a person ceases to be a member of this Congregation, he/she maintains the privilege of burial in the
grave plot of which he/she was previously the registered holder for the burial fee current at that time.

Registered holder & transferring a plot

Only one person can be the registered holder of a grave plot and he/she cannot transfer this to anyone other than a member of his/her own immediate family who is or has been a member of this congregation. Anyone wishing to transfer a plot must always consult the Burial Ground Subcommittee for approval so that it may be properly registered.

Where there is no registered holder of a grave plot, into which a burial could still take place, the Convener of the Burial Ground Sub-Committee assumes the role of registered holder and will liaise with relevant parties regarding burials and management of the grave plot

Should the holder of an unused grave site die without any known kindred, the grave site shall revert to the
church.

Grave opening

The opening of graves can only be authorised by the Convenor of the Burial Ground Sub-Committee or persons appointed by him/her, on behalf of the Congregational Committee. Such permission must always be in accordance with all burial ground rules.

The charges outlined in these rules do not include the cost of digging the grave. A fee for opening a grave shall be paid to the grave digger by the person permitted to exercise the right of burial.

Not more than 2 full-size coffins shall be placed in each grave plot. Caskets of ashes may also be placed in
graves, space permitting.

Erection of memorials

Permission to erect a headstone, a plinth for flowers or to place an inscription on any memorial must be obtained from the Congregational Committee. The proposed memorial or markings must be submitted to the Convenor of the Burial Ground Sub-Committee and written consent granted before the commencement of any work.

An administrative charge will be made for each application at the discretion of the Congregational Committee.

Any headstone or plinth for flowers. placed on a grave without this permission must be removed on demand. If it is not, it may be removed by the Congregational Committee or its agents and without responsibility for any loss or damage occasioned by the removal.

All memorials and engravings must be in keeping with the Christian ethos of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland.

Headstones and memorials remain the personal property of those who purchase them; the Congregational Committee does not assume costs for their purchase, maintenance or repair.

Maintenance of graves

Withered wreaths and flowers must be disposed of in the designated area.

The Congregational Committee reserves the right to remove withered wreaths and flowers from graves and to take whatever other steps are necessary to keep a grave tidy.

Contractors or other persons erecting a headstone or surround or carrying out other works to grave plots must remove all surplus materials from the burial ground and will be held responsible for any damage
caused to the burial ground.

Any contractor carrying out any work to grave plots must hold their own adequate insurance policies.

Conduct of funeral services in the burial ground

Funeral services in the burial ground can only be conducted by a Minister of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland or by a Minister of another Christian Denomination following discussion with the Minister of Castlerock Presbyterian Church or his/her nominee. He/she must be consulted before any arrangements are made.

Management of the burial ground

The management of the burial ground shall be entirely in the hands of the Congregational Committee, who may appoint from its members a Burial Ground Sub-committee, with full powers to act for it in all matters
relating to the burial ground.

In all cases of dispute concerning the allocation or transfer of graves or the management of the burial
ground, the decision of the Congregational Committee is final.

The Congregational Committee may adopt other rules or alter existing rules, fees, etc. from time to time, as it deems appropriate for the good management and maintenance of the burial ground.