Video of Carrauntoohil cross cut down sent to news site

Gardaí are viewing a video sent to a news outlet purporting to show the cross on Carrauntoohil being cut down.

The cross on Ireland’s highest mountain was cut down 10 days ago and reinstated at the weekend.

The garda in charge of the investigation, Supt Flor Murphy of Killarney gardaí, said it was being examined “as part of the investigation” and a number of lines of enquiry are being followed.

Writing printed at the base of the video images says it is footage of the cross being cut down and asks that it be shared and says the person cutting the cross with heavy machinery is “a parent”.

It appears to be shot at night-time.

According to thejournal.ie, who received the footage, the video contains a number of anti-Catholic Church sentiments, and suggestions that whoever was involved in cutting down the cross did so in protest at the number of Irish primary schools which are run by the Catholic Church.

Fine Gael TD for Kerry, Brendan Griffin said: “What can we expect next? Will these people start burning down churches or attacking people on their way to Mass? This type of behaviour is simply not acceptable.”

Meanwhile, Atheists Ireland has denied it found the symbol offensive and said the first time that atheists were mentioned in relation to the cutting down of the cross was when comments by a Fianna Fáil councillor from Kerry County Council were reported in the media.

“We did the interviews and suggested that if a new symbol was put up that it might be an inclusive one. At no stage during these interviews did our representatives state that we were offended by the cross on the top of Carrauntoohill. It would be very difficult for us to be offended as we did not know it existed,” the group said in a Facebook page post.

“Our main focus with regard to religious symbols has been in the education system where some schools have a religious crest on their school uniform and minorities have no choice but to wear a particular religious symbol to gain access to their only local publicly funded school. This would include religious minorities as well. We are also in correspondence with Kerry County Council regarding the erection of a cross in the Council Chamber.”

The group has also received angry messages from the public. “Well this is Ireland and we have now been informed that we are going to burn in hell, are intolerant, pushing our views on everyone, seeking attention, gleeful, did not give the local people enough sympathy etc etc and should be tarred and feathered and run out of the country,” the post said.