Arrangements confirmed for City Cemetery Blessing of the Graves
5 June 2025
Members of the public wishing to attend the Annual Blessing of the Graves at the City Cemetery scheduled to take place at 3pm on Sunday June 22nd, are asked to check traffic and parking arrangements to help plan their visit.
130 car parking spaces will be made available for Blue Badge holders within the Cemetery. The places will be allocated on a first come first served basis to current Blue Badge holders and can be booked at www.derrystrabane.com/cemeterysunday
When booking online for the City Cemetery spaces users are advised that they must provide a Name, Mobile number, Vehicle Registration Number, Blue Badge Number and email address – any submissions without this information will be considered invalid. The people using these spaces can access them via the Lonemoor Road entrance and they are to arrive before 2pm as the gates will close promptly at this time.
The City Cemetery will be closed to the general public, reopening at 1pm on Sunday, June 22nd, except for burials. Those who secure a parking space must be in place by 2pm, as there will be no access for vehicles after this time. Parking spaces will be allocated on a first come first served basis and it will not be possible to reserve a space in a particular area. Please keep in mind that you may still have to walk some distance to reach family graves and make provision for this. Once on site, vehicles will remain there until the crowds have dispersed which, it’s estimated, will be approximately 30 minutes after the service finishes. Access to the cemetery for vehicles will be from the lower gate of the Cemetery at the Lone Moor Road.
Other car parking is being made available and again are for blue badge holders at St Mary’s Church, Creggan, St Cecilia’s College and Celtic Park. There is no prior booking to these sites, access will only be given to vehicles that display a current Disability Blue Badge Permit on arrival and these too will be filled on a first come basis first served basis.
Please note that for those unable to attend or anyone with accessibility issues, the Service will also be live streamed and can be viewed from home.
In a joint statement from the Council, as owners of the Cemetery, and the Church, as event organisers, people were asked to follow the guidance and plan their visit in advance. “The Blessing of the Graves is always well attended with thousands of people expected at the City Cemetery on June 22nd. In order to ensure the smooth running of the event and in the interests of health and safety a number of measures will be put in place. These are necessary to reduce the volume of traffic and keep pedestrian safe. We would appeal to everyone to follow this guidance and cooperate with the stewards there to manage the event on the day.
“Visitors parking outside the cemetery are asked to please park in appropriate areas and be considerate of people living in the area. Be mindful of residents living in the area and do not block roadways, footpaths, or gateways when parking. This is an important time of prayer for families who are remembering loved ones, and we ask that everyone is respectful of other visitors during the service. We appreciate everyone’s cooperation in delivering this event.”
There will be no vehicle access to the cemetery until 1pm to facilitate preparations for the service. Access will only be given to those who have registered with gates remaining open until 2pm.
You can view the livestream of the Blessing of the Graves as follows: https://youtube.com/live/9ZS-utqxlfQ?feature=share