The China Mail - Mayo school appeals for information after convent and chapel vandalism

THE PRINCIPAL of a secondary school in Co. Mayo has appealed for information after the school's convent and chapel was grievously vandalised. Edmund Holmes stated the destruction at Our Lady's Secondary School in Belmullet was 'an attack on a place of great historical, cultural and spiritual significance to our entire community'.

After sharing pictures of the vandalism, he has now urged anyone with information on who may be responsible to contact gardaí. 'Shocking state of destruction'

In a post on the school's Facebook page, Mr Holmes stated he discovered the shocking scene in the convent and chapel when he arrived at work on Friday morning. Pews, the altar and lectern were upturned and daubed with paint, flowers and decorations were pulled down and strewn around while pictures, windows, doors and equipment were smashed.

"We are particularly dismayed to think that individuals among us could desecrate our beautiful chapel, where 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 wrote. "This building is much over bricks and mortar. It is an important part of the history and heritage of Belmullet and the wider Erris community, holding special memories for generations of students, families, staff and the religious sisters who dedicated so much of their lives to education in our community.

"To see such a cherished part of our school's history treated with such disregard is deeply disappointing. "This is not simply an act of vandalism against our school. It is an attack on a place of great historical, cultural and spiritual significance to our entire community."

Mr Holmes urged anyone who witnessed suspicious activity in or around the school, convent or chapel in recent weeks to contact the school authorities or An Garda Síochána. "We know that the overwhelming majority of individuals in our community share our respect for these buildings and the important place they hold in our local heritage," he added.

"We cannot allow such destruction to go unchallenged. These buildings and their history belong to our community and we all have a responsibility to protect them for future generations." Our Lady's dates back to the early 1920s when Sisters of Mercy from Ballina, who had previously cared for individuals in the Belmullet workhouse, opened a school in the area.

After first starting a commercial and music school and later a private junior school, a secondary school was opened in 1943. Sister Catherine McGoohan was brought in to take charge of the new establishment, assisted by Sister Annunciata Browne and Sister Aquinas McNulty, with the three teaching at the school until 2002.

The site has remained expanded and new facilities added over the decades, with then Taoiseach and Co. Mayo native Enda Kenny opening a new building in 2015. Everything from irishpost.com and the print edition is available on the Irish Post App — plus more! Download it for Android or Apple IOS devices today.

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