Castlederg Letters to Heaven box will not be replaced

The Letters to Heaven initiative sees special letterboxes placed in four of the largest cemeteries across the council area

A Letters to Heaven post box has been removed from a cemetery in Castlederg in County Tyrone and will not be replaced.

The decision comes after objections were made at a Derry City and Strabane District Council meeting on Wednesday.

The Letters to Heaven initiative saw special letterboxes placed in four of the largest cemeteries across the council area.

The post boxes enable cemetery visitors to send a letter to someone who has died.

Organisers hailed it as a way to help people, particularly young children, with the grieving process.

But the council was told the initiative was opposed by most families with loved ones buried in the Castlederg graveyard.

'Against teachings of faith'

DUP councillor, Keith Kerrigan, told BBC Radio Foyle’s North West Today programme some church ministers in Castlederg also told him it went against the teachings of their faith.

“There was a very negative reaction to the post box,” he said.

“I was contacted by a number of residents and clergy asking why it was placed there," Mr Kerrigan said.

“They didn’t think it was appropriate for the council to be dealing with people’s individual grief and loss of a loved one in this way,” he added.

The letterboxes were placed in Derry's City Cemetery as well as Ballyoan, Castlederg and Strabane cemeteries last year.

The proposal was brought to the council by former mayor Graham Warke.

Mayor Patricia Logue with former mayor Graham Warke and council staff at the launch of the Letters to Heaven initiative

At the time he said the idea was inspired by a conversation he had with a woman who felt her young son could cope better if he thought he could write a letter to his late father.

Mr Kerrigan said the vast majority of people buried in the Castlederg cemetery were from the Protestant faith.

“I spoke to the clergy from across the Protestant denominations and they didn’t feel it was appropriate.

“They were mindful that within the Protestant faith when someone passes on you can’t continue to correspond or pray or write to them.

“There are theological differences and they felt it was against the Protestant faith.”

The council meeting was told that the post box had been removed after the initial concerns were raised.

A further consultation exercise was carried out in Castlederg and the majority of the 133 responses opposed the concept. Some said the money should have been better spent.

A proposal not to reinstall the post box was unanimously passed by the members of the council's environment and regeneration committee.