Vandalised first World War memorial in Kilkenny repaired

A first World War memorial in Kilkenny city has been restored following an incident of criminal damage earlier in the year.

The memorial features a statue of a soldier in repose and the list of more than 820 names of people from the area who died in the war.

In early March, the carved stone face of the soldier had its nose sheared off and helmet damaged.

No arrests were made in connection with the incident, despite Garda appeals and the discovery of a vice grip and lump hammer nearby.

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Gardaí in Kilkenny say the area around the monument is now covered by CCTV. There is a fixed security camera and another that feeds directly back to the local Garda station.

The repair work was carried out by Molloys of Callan, a local company that played a role in the original installation of the piece.

‘Absolutely thrilled’

The chairman of the Kilkenny Great War Committee, Donal Croghan, said he was "absolutely thrilled" to have memorial back to its former glory. "Hopefully now it will be left alone. The cameras mightn't stop someone, but now at least they will be caught."

There are plans to hold a ceremony at the memorial on the National Day of Commemoration, July 14th.

The memorial was unveiled by Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan last July. It cost between €180,000 and €200,000 and was mostly funded by Kilkenny County Council and fundraising efforts by the local committee.