A statement in support of Palestine was affixed to a monument in Sneem that the people of Israel gave almost 40 years ago to honour an Irish president.
Gardaí are investigating the criminal damage of the stainless-steel sculpture on the village’s North Square.
The monument, in memory of the late President of Ireland Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh, was an acknowledgement of his close association with Dublin’s Jewish community.
Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh, who died in 1978, is buried in Sneem.
The statement, which has now been removed, was placed on one side of the stainless-steel tree sculpture.
Titled, ‘In Memory of the Innocent 15,000 Children of Palestine’, the statement is over 300 words in length.
It says, ‘we stand in solemn remembrance of the 15,000 children who perished in the devastating attacks on Gaza since October 7th’.
The statement makes no reference to the events of October 7th last when Hamas attacked Israel, killing over twelve hundred people, and taking 152 hostages.
Gardaí are appealing for witnesses or who may have information to contact them; and say the incident occurred sometime between Saturday July 26th and Tuesday, the 30th.
The monument, designed by an Israeli sculptor, was unveiled in 1985 by then President of Israel Chaim Herzog, who was born in Belfast and grew up in Dublin, and it acknowledged former President of Ireland Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh’s close links to Dublin’s Jewish community.
It’s one of three monuments in Sneem in honour of Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh – the others are an Irish National Memorial unveiled in 1983 by President Patrick Hillery, and a white marble panda donated by the People’s Republic of China in 1986, to acknowledge President Ó Dálaigh’s support for China’s admission to the UN.
August 2024: Full text of pro-Palestine statement that appeared in July 2024 on sculpture to honour former President of Ireland Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh which was given in 1985 by the people of Israel.
