A popular football club on the city's northside has seen significant damage done to its grounds in what has been condemned as a "shocking" and "senseless" incident of vandalism. 

In a Facebook post last night, Castleview AFC on J.F. Connolly Road said the club had sadly been notified of damage done to its facilities.

This included fencing torn down, fires lit in several places all over the grounds, and a goalpost ripped out of the ground.

The club said all pitches were also littered with glass bottles and other rubbish and that some locks had been broken and stolen. 

"We try our best as volunteers to provide useable facilities for the kids and adults to use and frankly the work put in by the very few involved is extraordinary and doesn't get enough praise.

"It saddens us all to see such stupid behaviour like this and we are appealing to those doing it to please stop," Castleview said in the Facebook post. 

It added that well in excess of 200 kids are registered with the club and such wanton vandalism is "unacceptable" and "detrimental".

Sinn Féin councillor for the city's North West ward, Mick Nugent said it was "shocking" to see the damage done to Castleview's facilities. 

He said there have been a number of clubs in the ward to be hit by vandalism over the years and implored those responsible to stop. 

"Whoever's carrying it out needs to stop. These are clubs in their own communities that their own friends or family members might have played for in the past or might be playing for at the moment. It's totally senseless behaviour," he said.