Members of the Coolshannagh community have been left in a state of "shock" after numerous headstones were vandalised in the local graveyard. Coolshannagh graveyard is renowned for its history and is an integral part of the local community.
Elizabeth Murphy is part of the 'Friends of Coolshannagh' group, an organisation which was set-up - on a voluntary basis - to enhance the graveyard.
Speaking to Northern Sound, Elizabeth confirmed that a Gardaí investigation is currently underway in relation to the incident. She said that while people from the area have been left "horrified," many are "hopeful" that this will be a stand-alone incident and not a regular occurrence. She urged those involved to "think about what they've destroyed" and to refrain from carrying out similar attacks in the future.
"It hasn't happened before that I'm aware of," explained Elizabeth. "The area that's vandalised has a very historic background, the graveyard itself is the first municipal graveyard in Ireland at the moment, but unfortunately some of the headstones that have been vandalised are part of that history. The public in general are horrified at the mindless vandalism of these headstones."
