Vandals have destroyed two wooden bird sculptures located along a walkway in Killarney National Park.
The hand-carved works of art were part of an eye-catching series of seven pieces located along a river walk in the national park at Knockreer, Killarney, Co Kerry.
The original carvings of a Greenland white fronted goose and a heron were destroyed with the head of the heron hacked off and only the feet of the goose sculpture remaining on the wooden plinth.
The vandalism has caused shock and upset in the tourist town and calls for greater policing of the park.
The sculptures were commissioned and erected by the Killarney Tidy Towns Committee and Kerry County Council.
"We are heartbroken by this wanton vandalism," said Tidy Towns Committee chairwoman, Yvonne Quille.
“Our money is on a shoestring so this is devastating,” she added.
The sculptures set on natural wood plinths depicted an owl, a red squirrel, an otter, a heron, a kingfisher, a pine marten and a Greenland white fronted goose and were unveiled earlier this year.
Situated along the River Deenagh walk they are the work of Sol Solomon and the idea behind the sculpture walk was to encourage children to watch out for and pay attention to the wildlife on their doorstep.