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Gardaí are increasing patrols at Carrowmore megalithic cemetery in Co Sligo after its key monument was recently vandalised.
The Office of Public Works and the National Monuments Service of the Department of Heritage are investigating after an initial was scratched onto the capstone of Tomb 51 or Listoghil, the central monument at the site.
It is understood that the initial was scratched on top of neolithic art which has been there for thousands of years. Local sources said that the art is no longer visible to the naked eye so the culprits would not have been aware it was there.
Gardaí have appealed to the public to report any suspicious activity around Carrowmore which is the largest megalithic cemetery in Ireland.
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A National Monuments Service spokesman said the incident was being treated very seriously. “The NMS follows up on all reports of damage to monuments and refers serious cases to An Garda Síochána for formal investigation,” he said.
“This incident at Carrowmore occurred out of hours and An Garda Siochana are increasing their evening patrols of the large site.”
Neolithic art has been discovered at three locations in Co Sligo, at Carrowmore, Carrowkeel and Heapstown.
Gardai described the damage done at Carrowmore - on “what is essentially a graveyard” - as “despicable”.
The said the site attracts thousands of visitors each year and was significant from an archaeological, historical and tourism point of view.
The Department of Heritage said all possible efforts were made to protect Ireland’s monuments. “The vast amount of visitors to archaeological monuments are very respectful of them,” said a spokesman.