An iconic war memorial in the heart of Letterkenny has been vandalised by criminals in yet another attack on public monuments.
The World War 1 Memorial in the St. Eunan’s Cathedral car park is the latest feature to be destroyed by vandals this week.
The structure was erected in 2014 by the Letterkenny Heritage Committee to commemorate the many lives of locals which were lost in battle. Now, the memorial stone has been smashed to pieces in another shocking act of vandalism. This is the third act of vandalism in the town in recent weeks.
Letterkenny Mayor Jimmy Kavanagh has strongly condemned the act and said it is “time these idiots were arrested.”
“No words for the clowns who do these things,” Cllr Kavanagh said.
The Gardai have been notified of the damage and it is hoped the culprits will be stopped before they ruin any more iconic structures in the town.
Letterkenny Heritage Committee member Johnny McCollum with the vandalised WW1 memorial in Letterkenny’s Cathedral car park
Cllr Kavanagh said this memorial has a strong link to the history of Letterkenny: “Over 90 people from Letterkenny were killed in World War 1 from right across the community. The memorial was erected by the community heritage group and over 500 people from every section of the community attended the event,” he told Donegal Daily.
Cllr Jimmy Kavanagh
This wrecking is now part of a series of attacks on public memorials this summer. A statue in the Market Square was toppled last week which depicts local children at a hiring fair day in Letterkenny. The figures are one of the town’s most notable and recognisable structures.
A bench in memory of the late historian and environmentalist May McClintock was also vandalised on Sentry Hill this summer. This seat was installed by the Letterkenny Community Heritage Group to celebrate the much-respected woman who contributed so much to the area.