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Concern has been expressed on both sides of the border at mounting vandalism in cemeteries and the targeting of people attending funerals or visiting graves of loved ones.The Police Service of Northern Ireland is investigating an incident in which two youths driving a tractor went on a rampage in a rural graveyard and wrecked a dozen headstones.
Thousands of pounds of damage was caused in the cemetery at St Patrick's Church in Cranagh, Co Tyrone, when the tractor crashed through the gates and careered over a row of graves.
Headstones, surrounds, mementos and urns were all smashed in what one parishioner said was “nothing short of desecration".
"How anyone could contemplate driving a large tractor through the gates of a graveyard and cause such devastation is beyond comprehension,” he remarked.
The parishioner said that relatives were “distraught and numbed by the attack” and could not understand how it could happen “in such a quiet part of the countryside."
The PSNI said they had no motive and were “trying to establish what was behind the incident."
After a spate of attacks on graves at Belfast City Cemetery – one of the city’s oldest burial places - Belfast City Council initiated a number of measures, including cutting down trees and shrubs to deter vandals.
In the most recent incident, up to ten graves were damaged.
Sinn Féin councillor Máire Cush said the vandals were ‘heartless’ and urged the community to come forward with information.
“It's been a while since vandalism of graves has been brought to my attention and I am absolutely disgusted by what has happened,” she said.
“It's alarming to think people could do something like this in such a sacred place and my heart goes out to the families who must be simply devastated by this maliciousness.
“How can anyone seek comfort at the graves of their loved ones when they have been destroyed by criminals?” Ms Cush asked.
Some weeks ago, gravestones at a historic 12th-century Church of Ireland cemetery in Tuam, Co Galway, were smashed in a vandalism spree blamed on students.
The curator of St Mary’s Cathedral, Mr Jarlath Canney, was showing a tour group around the cemetery when he discovered that six old headstones had been broken.
He blamed the incident on a lack of parental control and care.
A historic graveyard in Enniscorthy also fell victim to vandalism recently – this time one with a somewhat sinister slant.
A statue of Jesus on Calvary was daubed with graffiti at the 166-year-old paupers’ graveyard at Cherryorchard.
The slogans, including ‘God isn’t real’, ‘Hitler/Jesus’, ‘Keep feeding me denial and hate, From hate I shall create’, were daubed in red, green and blue on the statue.
Meanwhile, Gardaí in Enniscorthy are also investigating break-ins and criminal damage to several cars parked at St. Mary’s Cemetery, Summerhill.
Local councillor Tom Moorehouse urged visitors to the graveyard to be extra vigilant as there have been similar crimes over the past few months.
“Somebody is watching people going in and out of the graveyard - one lady had over €500 taken and the same amount of damage done to her car” he revealed. “This was a young woman who lost her husband just over a year ago.”
Vandalism and damage to cars at cemeteries was discussed at a recent meeting of Wexford Borough Council where one member, Cllr. Paddy Nolan, called those responsible for incidents at the town’s Crosstown cemetery “the scum of the earth”.
The council heard that a request to the Department of Justice for funding for CCTV cameras had been turned down on the basis of insufficient funds.
“We have to keep pursuing this but I would make a proposal in the meantime that we put one up at Crosstown cemetery,” said Mr Nolan.
“Not a week goes by without a car window being smashed and people’s possessions stolen. It’s scandalous what’s going on”.
“People are going up to visit the graves of loved ones and coming back to their cars to find the windows smashed”.
“The least we could do is give people some hope of catching the scum of the earth” he said.
But Town Manager Adrian Doyle said he doubted whether the councillor’s suggestion was feasible.
“Who’s going to be looking at the footage, who’s going to respond?” he asked.
“CCTV will not catch the vandals up at Crosstown, they’ll just put their hoods up.”
In County Down, thieves broke into a number of cars parked at the Mourne Presbyterian Church in Kilkeel recently while the owners were at a funeral.
The PSNI confirmed that three vehicles had windows smashed and a number of items including handbags had been taken.
Local councillor William Burns branded the thieves “totally despicable” and said, “It is very hard to take in that people would carry out such an action as breaking into people’s cars in church grounds while they are attending a funeral”.
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