Mother’s shock as roadside memorial vandalised

HEARTLESS vandals have damaged a roadside memorial to a 19-year-old man who died in a traffic accident more than three years ago.

The mother of the late Owen Sweeney yesterday said she was totally shattered to find his photograph and a glass case around it had been kicked out of the memorial at Carrigaphooka, Macroom, Co Cork, where he died.

“I never thought that anyone could be so bad to do something like this. It's unbelievable that such a thing could happen. What kind of people would stoop so low?” said Bernie Sweeney, of Beaufort, Co Kerry.

Owen was killed in a crash at Carrigaphooka, on July 19, 1999, and the marble headstone to his memory was erected by his family the following Christmas.

Ms Sweeney, a widow, said the memorial meant a lot of her and she was shocked to find it vandalised.

“The boot marks are visible on either side of the spot where Owen's photograph was and I can't understand why anyone could do such a thing,” she said. “The thought of the memorial being damaged by anyone had never entered my mind.

'The whole thing is very upsetting and I can't see why anyone should go to the trouble of deliberately kicking his photograph off the memorial. It’s very hurtful and distressing,” she said.

Gardaí in Macroom are investigating the incident.