Mindless vandalism at Keating Park

ST MARY’S GAA, CAHERSIVEEN, FACING COSTS OF OVER €2,400 FOLLOWING SICKENING DAMAGE TO STAND SEATING

ST Mary’s GAA club in Cahersiveen has vowed that it will rebound after its home, Con Keating Memorial Park, was the victim last week of mindless vandalism, which could set the club back to the tune of €2,500.

A club member discovered last Friday that 24 of the stand’s 160 seats had been damaged and will need to be replaced. The seats cost €100 apiece first day, but could cost more than that to replace, Chairperson Paul O’Donoghue told The

Kerryman.

It’s a bad financial hit for the club, and it couldn’t have come at a worse time, he said.

“These are strong seats, so it would have taken a bit of force, with some cracked and others with the backs completely broken off them,” he said.

“So it would seem, unfortunately, as though we’ve been the victims of mindless vandalism.

“Why anyone would go to the bother of doing something like this, I don’t know. It’s very disappointing.

“Like all clubs, we’ve had very little income with matches stopped, lottery stopped, so this couldn’t have come at a worse time. We have no estimate yet of the cost of repairing, but the seats cost €100 first day, and we don’t know, they could cost more now.”

The incident is all the more disappointing given that the seats were sponsored first day by Cahersiveen people at home and abroad, and for those living away from the south Kerry town, this gave them a sense of connection with their home place.

Paul said the matter was referred to Gardaí on Saturday after club members investigated the scene, and he added that the incident has angered Cahersiveen.

“People are very cross about this,” he said.“We do not have any CCTV at the pitch because, of course, it’s very costly and it’s an expansive facility; you wouldn’t be sure where exactly to have the cameras. But aside from that, people have always been very respectful of the facilities here and, as I say, you wouldn’t have thought anyone would go to the bother of doing something like this anyway. The pitch is very dear to the hearts of most people in the locality.

“But look, in the grand scheme of things, worse things have happened, and there is a great spirit within the club to get back into action, with the great news that football will soon be returning.

“We will rebound from this,” he added. “I’m sure the Gardaí will be very vigilant in their investigating of the matter, and anyone with any information can contact them, or get in touch with us here at the club.”

Cahersiveen Garda Station can be contacted at (066) 947 3600, while club contact details are available at www.stmarysgaa.com. The club is also on Facebook at ‘Saint Marys GAA Club Cahersiveen’ and on Twitter @StMarysGAAclub.

Photo by Christy Riordan. Some of the seats damaged in the incident at Con Keating Memorial Park, Cahersiveen.