A MAJOR review of security is to take place at Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin following the theft there at the weekend of the heart of St Laurence O’Toole. Held in a wooden heart-shaped container within a metal cage, it was removed when the metal bars were cut.
“We are still really hoping it will turn out alright,” director of operations at the cathedral Nuala Kavanagh said of the incident,which it is believed to have taken place between 9.30am and 12.30pm on Saturday.
She felt the huge amount of publicity which the burglary attracted would “hopefully make whoever took it feel the heat and that they will return it or leave it somewhere we can find it”.
“Financial gain would not appear to have been the motive,” she said as in monetary terms the heart was worth “absolutely nothing”.
St Laurence O’Toole, patron saint of Dublin, was born in 1128 at Castledermot, Co Kildare. He became the first Irish-born Archbishop of Dublin in 1162. He was canonised in 1225.