Vandalism of Wexford graveyard ‘an attack on our history’

A councillor in Co Wexford has described the vandalism of one of the county’s oldest burial grounds as “an attack on our history and culture”.

At Monachán graveyard in Taghmon, 18 gravestones – some dating back hundreds of years – were damaged, with some smashed and others pulled from the ground.

Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Aontú councillor Jim Codd said the village is reeling from the incident, calling it “absolutely shocking”.

Mr Codd said the damage included: “Tombs smashed up, granite plinths around certain graves pulled out, a cast iron Celtic cross smashed off a wall and various tombstones broken in pieces, if not pulled out of their place.”

He said ancient crosses without markings on them had been “pulled up and strewn around”.

Mr Codd said the vandalism is an “attack on our history and culture”, adding: “I can’t even imagine why somebody would want to undertake such mindless destruction and desecration of our Christian heritage.

“Even the walls on the way into the graveyard – the stones are pulled out of them and thrown around,” he said.

Mr Codd said local people in the village are furious and outraged by what has happened. He said the community in Taghmon has already been out working to repair the graveyard.

“They’re heartbroken,” Mr Codd said. “You have stones here from the 18th, 17th, and possibly earlier centuries… this history cannot be replaced.

“This is a destruction of our very culture and a wonderful graveyard where both Catholic and Protestant were laid to rest side by side.”

“It’s very personal to the community there, local volunteers taking care of the graveyard to maintain the history and then this happens,” he said.

Mr Codd said it would take a large amount of force to have done so much damage: “To break up 18 graves is a big job of work.”

Mr Codd said it is not known who caused the damage and called for a “greater garda presence” in rural Ireland.

He said it is “not the first time” the graveyard has been the subject of vandalism.

“This graveyard is in the middle of the village of Taghmon and we have two fantastic gardaí, but they’re being pulled away to Rosslare or into Wexford town and they get to spend less and less time where they’re posted,” he said.

“This is the case across the country since 2011, 140 garda stations have closed and one in 10 rural garda stations don’t have a presence, so we don’t have gardaí there,” he added.