There are plans for fundraising to replace the serious damage done at St Catherine’s Cemetery, Kilcully in recent days, while a public meeting is taking place next Saturday about the vandalism.
The Cork public was shocked by the images of headstones knocked over and statues smashed in the cemetery damage, in an incident which is now the subject of a Garda investigation.
Local councillor Ken O’Flynn has told The Echo he will be giving €500 to ‘kickstart fundraising for the headstone replacement fund’.
A public meeting is set to take place at the Commons Inn at 2pm next Saturday, where locals intend to discuss what they can do to protect the cemetary from further harm.
“We can’t put up with this … something needs to be done!” an organiser said.
Currently, City Council CCTV only monitors the car park at Kilcully and not the activity in the graveyard itself.
This is not the first incident at the cemetery in recent months but it is the most serious.
Yesterday, campaigner for the elderly Paddy O’Brien described the heartbreaking scenes at a city cemetery, saying; “I’ve never seen so many people upset.”
Large crowds arrived to check on the graves of their loved ones as news of the attacks spread.
Families arrived to the site to find headstones knocked off their plinths and the heads knocked off holy statues.
Empty bottles of alcohol were also found on graves.
Mr O’Brien, who runs Cork’s Over 60s talent competition, visited the cemetery to check on the grave of his wife.
He said: “It’s an awful sight. The place was packed. I’m going to hundreds of funerals here and I’ve never seen so many cars. I’ve never seen so many people upset, crying with tears.
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