Due to an increasing incidence of caches placed within graveyards, cemeteries and Church grounds I'm getting increasingly concerned about the application of "assumed permission" whereby I, as a reviewer, assume that the cache setter has obtained all the necessary permissions from an appropriate person with responsibility for the site. Deep down I know that many of these placements don't have this permission and I'm getting very concerned that as geocaching increases in popularity and becomes more widely known that we are going to receive some very bad press when some of these unauthorised caches are discovered. Therefore, I'm going to change my approach slightly to caches in such places as follows:

• All owners of caches with physical components placed within graveyards, cemeteries and Church grounds will have to provide details of the person that provided permission for the placement. This person should be of sufficient authority to give this permission.
  
• This request applies only to physical stages so virtual stages of caches within these areas that lead to a physical cache placed outside will continue to be reviewed using the principle of "assumed permission".
  
• All current caches that were published under the principle of "assumed permission" are now considered "grandfathered". However, if you own such a cache that doesn't have appropriate permission I recommend that you approach the landowner for permission or change your cache to remove the physical component from the graveyard, cemetery or Church grounds.
  
• To everyone that has a cache placed in such an area with full permission of the landowner I'd like to say thank you for your efforts. It may be helpful for others to place a piece in your cache description detailing who gave you permission and thanking them so that others know that it can be done and to give them an idea where to start looking.

This approach has been implemented in both the UK and in various US States after complaints from authorities within the affected Church and many caches were archived. I'd like to avoid that occurring in Ireland and so I'm adopting this approach before I start to get complaints. In the UK this was the feeling of one Vicar:


In both the UK and US this approach was welcomed and supported by the geocaching community. I hope that this will also be the case in Ireland.

As always if anyone has any queries or questions feel free to post them here or contact me privately by PM or email via this forum or my profile on GC.com

Thanks and regards,

Niall

Croaghan - Volunteer Reviewer for Geocaching.com (Ireland)

It occurs to me that in trying to get permission there's a good chance that you could also come across some really interesting factoids or stories about characters in the said graveyard - and this could be used either to make the information about the cache more interesting or to provide some virtual stages on a multi that wouldn't have been included otherwise.

Every cloud....!

I agree with dino re the graveyards, however I would not like to be the one meeting up with the local PP or Rev sir to make my case .
Would prefer to avoid them altogether if this needs to be the case .