Help Repair Clongorey Club House after Vandalism

Recently, the community of Clongorey was hit with two senseless acts of vandalism when both the old and new community centres were destroyed.

On the 11th of July, the Old Community Club House was set on fire - this was a beloved space where community events were held, children got to meet Santa and many parties were had. The community has been devastated to see this happen to the beloved old community space.

Then in the early hours of the 25th of July, the new community club house was broken into and destroyed. The door was bent and broken by what is thought to be a crowbar - as can be seen in the pictures below, the centre was destroyed. Everything was pulled out of presses and thrown around, lights were pulled out of the ceiling, fire extinguishers were released, wine splashed all over the walls and most devastatingly, the boiler was hit multiple times with something sharp and burst open - flooding the whole centre and causing water damage everywhere. There was damage to windows, walls, door handles - anything you can think of has been broken, destroyed or soaked.

The community club house is run completely by local volunteers and hosts so many incredible community events/activities:

A walking track was completed recently with funding from the national lottery - this is used by many in the community. The community association has also organised St. Brigid’s Day events and an incredible walking tour of Clongorey - showcasing the history of the Clongorey evictions. This was a ticketed event and all funds raised (besides costs) were given to local charities.

The community is absolutely devastated by these acts of vandalism which will affect so many - in small communities like this, areas of connection are extremely important for all those that live there.

The funds will be used for the following:

While the association has insurance, we are unsure what will be paid out and many of the needs are immediate so we cannot wait. All funds will be used to continue security upkeep and CCTV.

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