Memorial site to Clare’s war dead damaged and littered

A MEMORIAL site dedicated to Clare’s war dead has been damaged and littered in recent days with one “disgusted” local councillor describing those behind it as “cowards”.

One of four stone benches which have been installed at Clare’s World War 1 memorial in the Clare Peace Park near glór has had a piece broken off in recent days. Rubbish left in the area has also become “an ongoing issue” according to Dr Keir McNamara of the Clare Peace Park Committee.

Efforts are now being made to repair the damage to the stone bench ahead of the annual remembrance service for those who lost their lives in World War 1 this November. Fortunately the glass memorial itself was not harmed.

Councillor Mary Howard, a member of the Clare Peace Park committee, hit out at those behind the damage at a meeting of the Ennis Municipal District this week saying she felt “disgusted when this happened”.
She continued by describing the culprit or culprits as “cowards to go in and do something like this in such a special place.”

She urged that, once legislation allows, CCTV should be installed at the site, saying, “People did so much to raise funds for this, it cost too much to allow it to fall into disrepair.”

Expressing disappointment to The Clare Champion at the damage that has been done Dr McNamara said “considerable effort” would have been needed to break the stone bench. “I can’t imagine what they were doing at the time.”

He was shocked to see what had happened when he arrived at the memorial to install some new signage.

“I found an awful lot of rubbish, which has been an ongoing issue, mainly drink related paraphernalia and coffee cups. One of the benches was damaged, but the memorial itself was fine unlike previously when it was damaged.” Back in 2018 one of the panels of the glass memorial dedicated to over 700 Clare men and women who died in World War 1 was shattered.

Dr McNamara said he and the rest of the Clare Peace Park committee are happy to see the memorial used as an amenity, as was intended. However, “It is a site that deserves much more respect to the memories of all the Clare men and women remembered there.”

“At the end of the day it is a solemn site designed to remember a great loss for the county in terms of men and women and you would hope that anyone who would come and enjoy the peaceful setting would also respect what it is all about, and at the very minimum take their rubbish away with them.”

He believes that a litter bin is needed in the area to help deter any dumping.

Despite this setback, Dr McNamara says that the memorial has been “well received” locally with news of the damage sparking disappointment in the community. Some have even volunteered to pick up some litter in the area.

He is appealing to anyone “engaging in outdoor activity to take their waste with them. Once a bit of litter starts appearing, it brings a whole downward spiral of social behaviour which is an awful pity. It’s very easily avoided.”