A RESOURCE CENTRE in Sneem Co Kerry was robbed of €2,500 over the weekend.
The centre held a Christmas crafts fair last week – featuring stalls for vendors, Santa’s grotto and ‘Del Boy’s Magic Show’ – to raise funds for the locals.
They succeeded in raising their biggest amount to date, making it their most successful crafts fair.
The money was later locked away in a cabinet in the centre’s office on Friday night.
On Monday, the office’s back door had been “kicked” in, the cabinet had been forced open, and the money was gone.
Nothing else in the room, which had computers and printers in it, was taken.
Assistant secretary of the centre Caroline Lea, said that locals were appalled at the news, and saw it as a crime against the community.
She said that they would need “an extra boost” this year because of the robbery, as their rent is €6,000 a year, on top of electricity and other bills, and they receive no government funding.
“We’ll probably try to run another event after Christmas, a table quiz or an Easter Egg hunt,” Lea told TheJournal.ie, saying that this would set them back a bit.
Source: Sneem Resource Centre
The Sneem Resource Centre, which has been operating for 27 years, employs one person full time, with eight members on the committee.
Their aim is to bring the community together and to help people feel less isolated, offering workshops as well as computer and printing services.
"If locals have an idea - like a yoga or a pottery class - they can come to us with it and we'll look for funding. We also have a charity shop that sells clothes and books, and a newsletter that we've won an award for."
The incident was reported to Kenmare Garda Station and an investigation is underway.
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