Waterford City's 900-year-old Norman walls vandalised 'Great Escape style'
The section of the wall removed and its proximity to houses visible. Picture by Cllr Eamon Quinlan.
A section of the 900-year-old Norman Walls in Waterford City has been vandalised again.
The damage to the wall is the latest in a long list of incidents targeting the Priory, Quaker Tombstones and Walls at the rear of Wyse Park.
Commenting on the escalating incidents, the latest of which saw a section of the wall removed and destroyed, Councillor Eamon Quinlan said there is a sense of outrage and defeat in the community.
"To see these walls have graffiti sprayed on them, to see tombstones smashed is bad enough, but now, seeing huge holes being created in the walls, stones removed, some smashed, just so they can sneak into the park to drink cans and act the maggot is heartbreaking.
"They are taking a whole section of our city walls!
"I am now publicly calling on Waterford City and County Council to surrender this area directly to The Office of Public Works (OPW) and allow them to take over the maintenance of these walls until such time as we can prove we can protect them,” said Cllr Quinlan.
Waterford City and County Council are responsible for the maintenance of the walls.
According to Cllr Quinlan, this incident happened a week before the council fenced off the area.
But locals have been calling for action to protect the area for months.
Millions of euros have been spent on the restoration of Waterford's Historic Walls, along with its Defensive Towers and even the St John's Priory.
That includes hiring stonemasons to secure and enhance the structure.
“I have to say, this is an unmitigated failure by Waterford City and County Council in terms of its responsibility to preserve our heritage for future generations.
All generations have had thugs, but none have ever gotten so far in terms of literally digging into and carrying away sections of our history, in an almost 'The Great Escape' style," said Cllr Quinlan.
Cllr Quinlan says he isn't sure about the stability of the walls.
This section is beside houses, a footpath and a road.
"As a priority, this needs to be secured, and the public needs to be advised if it is safe, and if not, when it will be.
"At this stage, I am repeatedly asking the Council to take this seriously.
"As a child in De La Salle, around the corner, we were able to come over and use this area with the Cub Scouts, play, conduct nature walks, be thought about Irish history, much of which started right here.
"Now, no school would dare let their pupils in there for fear of what might happen.
"We have been slowly losing year in, year out here, and that’s why so many feel so disappointed in where we are now.
The area remains closed off to the public while Waterford City and County Council engages in a plan of action to rectify the situation.
The walls at the rear of Wyse Park date back to the 12th century and have been a feature of life for generations of Waterford People.
Cllr Quinlan said the park goes back centuries, has a priory, started by Crusading Knights Hospitallers.
"Tombstones of generations of our local Quaker community. Walls built by Waterford hands 900 years ago. Side by side with the Norman Walls, added to the Vikings' walls were added to increase Waterford’s size.
"Walls that rebuffed the House of York during the War of the Roses, earning us our motto the Unconquered City, Urbs Intacta Manet, that went on to hand Oliver Cromwell one of his singular defeats on Irish soil," said Cllr Quinlan.
The Waterford News and Star reported in February that council workers were finding it difficult to keep up with the level of antisocial behaviour in the area.
That was in response to damage caused to the tombstones, which were broken and spraypainted.
The workers onsite to tend to the tombstones said that they are going in every day or two, and it takes a considerable amount of time to clean up after an incident.
Council workers reported finding drug paraphernalia and youths loitering who sometimes abuse the staff trying to maintain the site.
