Stolen Offaly graveyard sign returned to site by unknown person

THE information sign which was stolen from Killoughey old graveyard last weekend has been returned to the site by an unknown person.

Odran Condron, who came up with the idea for the development along with his mother Breda, discovered the sign left at the perimeter wall of the graveyard on Thursday evening.

But the sign has been damaged and a new one will have to be manufactured before it can be erected local councillor Neil Feighery told the Tribune.

"I'm delighted to see that it had been returned and I really hope we can draw a line under the incident," said the Fine Gael public representative.

He said the graphics for the original information sign can all be reused for a new sign.

"I look forward to the rescheduling of the official unveiling ceremony," added Cllr Feighery.

Last weekend Cllr Feighery described the theft of the information sign as "a despicable act of evil."

Odran Condron said the theft was "devastating for those who put a year's work" into the project.

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The unveiling of the sign was due to take place in the old Killoughey graveyard, outside Mountbolus, on Saturday afternoon during the annual blessing of the graves.

"We installed the sign – featuring a wooden stand and map - on Friday night at 8pm but it was stolen by 10am on Saturday morning," outlined Odran,

"The sign was to record the history of the people buried there and to direct people to their ancestral graves as many of the headstones are now illegible."

Local councillor Neil Feighery said he was "utterly disheartened and disgusted at this low act of theft from a sacred and historic place."

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The idea by Breda and Odran Condron to erect a sign in the graveyard came after they heard that two families travelled from abroad to find their ancestral graves but they were unable to do so because many of the historic headstones are very old and illegible.

The new sign's purpose was to direct people to the headstones they are looking for.

"We often have visitors to the graveyard from abroad - the US, Australia and New Zealand. Two groups from Roscommon recently visited the graveyard and a group from Cork are visiting in July," outlined Odran.

He said the sign project would not have been made possible without the help of local councillor Neil Feighery and the Tullamore Municipal Council who provided grant aid for the project.

Cllr Feighery said all the community in Killoughey were very proud of the historic graveyard which was steeped in history.

"On Christmas Day in 1653, when locals were celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, the church was surrounded by Cromwellian troops, who set it alight and burned everyone inside," recalled the Killoughey native.

He paid tribute to Breda and Odran Condron for their work, in particular their research into the stories of the people buried there and the headstones,"

"As the local councillor I was delighted to secure funding so that this informative sign could be erected in the graveyard for the benefit of tourists and local people alike," added Cllr Feighery.