Flowers and plants stolen at Cherry Hill, Kells

Residents of the Cherry Hill estate in Kells have been devastated by a vandalism attack for the second year running.

Thieves or vandals removed nearly all the bedding plants from the award winning estate on Saturday night, causing heartbreak to the hard working local committee.

The attack comes in the wake of an incident last year, when vandals damaged a painstakingly restored pump with acid, on the eve of the judging for the Pride of Place competition.

“This has been another major blow, especially after last years attack,” says Liam Galligan who discovered the damage on Sunday morning.

“They took away over €150 worth of plants and destroyed a lot of very hard work.

“Last year, vandals caused €1,600 worth of damage the night before the Pride of Place judges came to the estate.”

This week, the local community rallied around however with donations from Philip Heery, Expert Hardware and the neighbouring Cherryhill Court Estate and Liam and his neighbours replanted the stunning displays this morning (Thursday).

“It is heartbreaking when something like this happens, but people have been very good.

“An awful lot of work has gone into to this estate. The local committee works very hard and it is a shame that we have to deal with this.”

Liam had watered the flowers on Saturday evening around 6.30pm and when he went out at 10am on Sunday morning he discovered they were practically all gone.

“There were one or two outside houses that weren't touched,” he said.

“It is very disturbing. We don't know if it was the same people responsible on both occasions or not.

“The plants weren't just knocked over and damaged by people on their way home late at night, because whoever it was didn't leave much of a mess and must have deliberately brought a bag to take them away.

The Cherryhill Estate in Kells is a regular prize winner in the Pride of Place competition and even after last year's attack managed to get second place in the competition.

An old pump that had been restored by the residents, a bench and a wheelbarrow planter were destroyed by an acidic substance in a vandalism attack in the early hours of the morning, just hours before Pride of Place judges were due to arrive in Kells to meet the residents committee.

Angry parents in the estate pointed out at the time, that there were children who could have been badly injured if they came into contact with the substance and and elderly residents often use the seats for a rest when they are out walking.

The damaged areas were cordoned off and neighbours came out to help sort it out.

They were determined not to let it stop them and the judging went ahead- they had photographs of the pump when it was completed  and the judges were very sympathetic.