The Lord Mayor of Cork has condemned a mindless vandalism attack on an inner-city crib at one of the city’s oldest structures.
The damage at the Red Abbey crib, located behind railings inside the landmark abbey tower, occurred earlier today just hours after its unveiling.
The smashed manger outside the Red Abbey crib earlier today.
Lord Mayor Cllr Mick Finn performed the official light switch-on at the crib on Saturday night.
But it appears that overnight, someone was able to scale the two-metre high railings, which are topped with spikes, and get into the crib.
The wooden manger was then thrown over the railings and out onto the plaza area where it smashed.
There was no damage to any of the statues.
Council workers were on site this evening to repair the damage and to restore the crib.
“Mindless stupidy is the only phrase that comes to mind when you see this type of carry on,” Mr Finn said.
Locals take pride in this location and this festive crib. Thankfully it was fixed again, but it is extremely frustrating that this and other vandalism and graffiti denigrates our city.
The tower provides a link to Cork’s medieval past, as it is the city’s only structure remaining from that time period. Considered a National Monument, it stands on the site of an Augustinian abbey thought to have been founded in the 13th or 14th century.
The friars remained through the Reformation, until 1641, but by the early-18th century, the space was being used as a sugar refinery. A fire in 1799 destroyed much of the abbey.
