‘We’re so disheartened this was done to our 1788 church’

A 1788 church near Crosshaven, which is the subject of an ongoing conservation project, was vandalised over the weekend in Crosshaven.

Templebreedy Church, just up from Church Bay beach, is a popular local attraction that sits alongside a walkway put in place in recent years.

This week it was discovered that the church had been defaced by graffiti across three walls with the words ‘Tokyo’ and ‘Dead Head’ along with a skull drawing and pattern sketches.

One of the people involved in the ongoing repair project, which intends to restore the church and surrounding graveyard, Audrey Buckley, said the local community was disheartened by the vandalism.

She said there are a number of clues that will help the community and gardaí find the culprit.

Mrs Buckley said that a spray can was found at the site, which they are hoping will be tested for fingerprints and the local community activist, who is also a Fianna Fáil local area representative for the Crosshaven/Carrigaline area, said the sketches are quite practised.

“We think we are looking for a young teenager who may be in school. The graffiti is very defined, this person is very good at what they do, it is not just some random kids doing it.”

Mrs Buckley said that she thought someone may have seen the individual carrying out the graffiti.

“We think this was done in the day. It is not likely it was done at night and the walkway up to the church is very popular, it is likely that someone saw something.”

The consolidation project volunteers have made an official complaint to the gardaí regarding the incident which Ms Buckley said was very disheartening to see happen.

“We have been working on a conservation project for the church for the past two years and we have just gotten to the stage where we can put it out to tender to conservationist engineers.

“We can’t touch a blade of grass on the site without checking with the Department of Culture, Heritage and An Gaeltacht. We will probably have to go through the department to get the graffiti removed.”

The consolidation project organiser said that she feared this incident may delay the start of the project which she said was disappointing for everyone involved.

Mrs Buckley said this is the first time there has been graffiti in the area.

“We have previously had graffiti on the beach in Graball but it was very little, nothing like this.”

Mrs Buckley said she is hoping the gardaí can do something about the graffiti and said she would like to see the person involved doing community service.

“I think this shows a lack of respect for the area and for the community and I hope something is done about it.”

Anyone with information is asked to private message the Templebreedy ‘Save Our Steeple’ Facebook page.