Updated 23.10pm
THE GRAVE OF WT Cosgrave has been vandalised in Goldenbridge Cemetery in Inchicore.
A number of other monuments at the graveyard were also desecrated at the same time as the grave of the Irish politician, who served as the President of the Executive Council of the Irish Free State.
The Glasnevin Trust confirmed that the discovery was made by a groundsman who came on the scene yesterday afternoon.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Charlie Flanagan took to Twitter today to voice his disgust:
Fine Gael TD for Dublin South Central Catherine Byrne also condemned the vandalism, stating that she is sure it has caused the family great upset.
A statement from Glasnevin Trust states that Goldenbridge Cemetery is locked and visited by appointment only, given that there are now relatively few burials at the cemetery.
Vandalism
They said that the cemetery has been the target of vandalism over the past number of months and in response to this, executives of the Glasnevin Trust have recently met with public representatives, Dublin City Council and the gardaí to discuss the issue.
The vandalism of WT Cosgrave’s grave comes just as a new biography by historian Michael Laffan is being released.
The Trust says that while the obligation of repairing vandalised monuments usually falls to the family who own the monuments, on this occasion it has been agreed that the stonemasons of the Glasnevin Trust will repair the monuments without cost to the family.
First published 17.20pm
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