The principal of a secondary school in Belmullet Co Mayo has issued an appeal for information after vandals targeted its chapel and convent.
Principal of Our Lady's Secondary School Edmund Holmes said he was dismayed at a decision by vandals to "desecrate" their beautiful chapel.
"Religious artefacts, sacred images, stained-glass windows and furnishings have been damaged, and parts of the chapel left in a shocking state of destruction.
This building is much more than bricks and mortar. It is an important part of the history and heritage of Belmullet and the wider Erris community, holding special memories for generations of students, families, staff and the religious sisters who dedicated so much of their lives to education in our community.
To see such a cherished part of our school's history treated with such disregard is deeply disappointing."
Mr Holmes said it wasn't simply an act of vandalism against their school.
The school appealed for information about who was behind the vandalism
"It is an attack on a place of great historical, cultural and spiritual significance to our to our entire community."
He has called on members of the public who may have witnessed suspicious activity in or around the school, convent or chapel in recent weeks to contact the school authorities or gardai.
"No piece of information is too small, and any assistance would be greatly appreciated.
We know that the overwhelming majority of people in our community share our respect for these buildings and the important place they hold in our local heritage.
We cannot allow such destruction to go unchallenged. These buildings and their history belong to our community, and we all have a responsibility to protect them for future generations."