Mayo chapel vandalism Belmullet school, Digi Mart USA News (Belmullet, County Mayo, Ireland): The principal of a secondary school in Belmullet, County Mayo, has issued an appeal after vandals “desecrated” its chapel and convent.
Edmund Holmes, principal of Our Lady’s Secondary School, said windows, flooring and furniture were destroyed during the break-in. “Religious artefacts, sacred images, stained-glass windows and furnishings have been damaged, and parts of the chapel left in a shocking state of destruction,” he said.
Holmes described the building as much more than bricks and mortar, saying it is an important part of the history and heritage of Belmullet and the wider Erris community. It holds special memories for generations of students, families, staff and the religious sisters who dedicated much of their lives to education in the community.
“To see such a cherished part of our school’s history treated with such disregard is deeply disappointing,” he said.
Holmes said the incident was not simply an act of vandalism against the school but an “attack on a place of great historical, cultural and spiritual significance to our entire community.” He 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 the gardaí, Ireland’s police force.
“No piece of information is too small, and any assistance would be greatly appreciated,” Holmes said. He added that the overwhelming majority of people in the community share respect for these buildings and their place in local heritage.
“We cannot allow such destruction to go unchallenged,” he said.
The coeducational school was founded in 1943 by the Sisters of Mercy and is a Ceist (Catholic Education, an Irish Schools Trust) school. The vandalism was discovered on Friday.
