Community condemns criminal damage incident at beloved community-led project
Multiple windows, such as these pictured, were damaged in an incident of criminal damage at the Sisters of Mercy Convent last Friday evening.
Gardaí are continuing to investigate a serious incident of criminal damage that occurred at the former Sisters of Mercy Convent in Ballina.
A spokesperson for the Garda Press Office said last Friday around 8.35pm, they received a report of criminal damage to the premises located at Convent Hill.
Multiple windows in the property were damaged in the incident, many of which were designed and built well over a century ago and the incident has been strongly condemned in the local community.
Local councillor and chairman of the Ballina Convent Regeneration Mark Duffy said the incident was ‘disheartening’ but the community will not stop in their efforts to restore the historic building which was built in 1867.
“It’s disheartening to see vandals damage a building that volunteers from the community are spending thousands of volunteer hours to save it from ruin,” he told the Western People.
“We will not be deterred from our efforts in saving one of the most historically and culturally significant buildings in Ballina from decline.”
Cllr Duffy said a lot of false information has been spread online about the Convent revival, conflating the community-led project with unconfirmed rumours of an International Protection Applicants (IPAS) centre being set-up at the site of the former St Mary’s Secondary School nearby.
A Section 5 Planning Application to accommodate IPAS was approved for the St Mary’s site late last year, however the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth told the Western People last month they are not currently considering using this site for accommodating IPAS.
Furthermore, the St Mary’s site is currently in private ownership and has no connection to the Sisters of Mercy Convent, which was handed over to the community last year.
Since then, an intensive renovation process has been underway that has seen the roof of the building saved from collapse as well as works carried out to arrest wet and dry rot that threatened the future of the building.
“Disinformation and agitation for political purposes online in portraying the community led project as something other than for the benefit of Ballina is extremely harmful and risks destroying a wonderful project,” said Cllr Duffy.
“We implore the Ballina community to support the project and reject bad faith actors who have used images of the convent to create confusion about its purpose.”
“We are also let down by a complete lack of communication from department officials in relation to proposals for the St. Mary’s Secondary school,” he added.
Garda enquiries into the incident at the Sisters of Mercy Convent are ongoing and anyone with any information is asked to contact Ballina Garda Station at 096 20550.
