JUST days after the spectacular carved deer sculpture on Port Road was targeted, another stunning piece of street art in Killarney has been damaged, KillarneyToday.com can reveal.
Weeks after it was officially unveiled, the life-sized sculpture of a monk adjacent to the ANAM building on East Avenue Road has been vandalised.
A carved wooden quill that had been in the monk’s hand – to reflect the historic Annals of Innisfallen – appears to have been snapped off and stolen.
The damage was spotted this Sunday night by an alert passer-by who brought it to the attention of KillarneyToday.com.
The fabulous wooden sculpture has been greatly received by passers-by who marvel at the intricate artwork which is floodlit after dark.
The sculpture was a project undertaken by the Killarney Looking Good Committee and it was painstakingly carved by tree sculptor Tommy Craggs from a piece of fallen oak from Killarney National Park.
In keeping with the story of Innisfallen, it depicted a monk with crozier, a quill and a book representing the famous Annals which were scripted on the island by the monks in 1092 and are now housed in the Bodleian Library in Oxford.
The project was funded by South Kerry Development Partnership, through Leader, and Kerry County Council’s Community Support Fund.
Just yesterday KillarneyToday.com highlighted damage to the antlers on the carved deer sculpture on Port Road.
The mindless vandalism of the two sculptures – which follows the targeting of feature animal carving along a walking trail in Killarney National Park at Knockreer – again highlights the urgent need to CCTV cameras to be installed in the town centre.
It is an issue that has been on the agenda of the local council and gardai for several years but final approval is still awaited.
Anybody that might have any information on the latest incidents or those that may have spotted something suspicious should make contact with gardai in Killarney or bring it to the attention of the Killarney Looking Good Committee.
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