Historic Virgin Mary statue is vandalised

A MAN armed with a hammer has caused major damage to a 370-year-old statue of the Virgin Mary in a Limerick church.

The timber statue, brought to the city in 1640, was pulled off its plinth at the Dominican church in Glentworth Street where it had been on display for decades.

Gardaí investigating the attack say a man in his 20s is a likely main suspect. They have been trawling CCTV footage from the security camera network which monitors the city centre.