A terrible theft, a real shame. I hope that the artefacts are returned.

They are 900 year old artifacts, part of our heritage and national treasure, this has nothing to do with abuse, Vatican, cover ups etc. This was thievery plain and simple. What is wrong with people…

Eamonom . I agree with you and only wish I could voice my opinions as well as you have . Thanks for reminding me to offer my sympathy to the Holy Cross community , which must come as a huge shock to them. The workmanship by a ‘primitive man’ with primitive tools can not be replicated and so there is no monetary value can not replace them.

speaking as someone who is somewhere to the left of Stalin in my religious attitudes, I actually find this disgusting and some of the attitudes of people on this board a little bit frivolous in some case’s (which i don’t mind) and dangerously bigoted (which I do mind).
currently I am in Italy where every second block has a church which contains ornamentation and artefacts that would be hailed as major works of art if they were In Ireland. The monetary value of this relic was negligible compared to some of those artefacts. Few, if any, require to be under lock and key (which this was).
Of course this is not part of a True Cross (which if it ever existed is part of the sedimentary of Golgotha) but the work and the devotion of the people who constructed the Abbey and those who prayed to it are not to be treated in a trivial matter. There is a creeping arrogance about Atheism today, as if the concept of a Godless universe never occurred to anyone prior to the 20th C and the work and art of these people is that of a primitive person. Whether I am being condescended to by atheist or a religious nut, it’s not a person’s belief’s i respond to. it’s their attitude to other human’s i judge them by.
A shocking crime in it’s barefaced execution and speaking as an atheist, my sympathies are with the Holy Cross community. Hope the items are found safe and can be returned to the Abbey

They knew what they were doing and knew what they were after. I am puzzled though… if the jeep was recovered, why are we only given a partial and uncertain number plate? Just curious.

Stolen treasures usually turn up.
The Elgin Marbles in the British Museum are named after the thief who goughed them off the Parthenon.

Hmmm they’ll get maybe 100 euros for the metal…how much do you reckon the jeep they burnt out cost?
Not the most intelligent criminals!!!!!!

Gees….chill winston!

Gardai should keep an eye out at the ‘cash4gold’ shops, at least for the second relic.

You don’t have to believe in the Sun God Ra to place value in the Mask of Tutankamun or the Pyramids of Egypt.

Shocking comments here …. Theft is theft is theft and one such as this is just terrible. I hope the culprits are caught and jailed and the True Cross is returned to the sanctuary of Holy Cross.

I get the inpression that Cyril Butler would use the Pyramids of Egypt as a stone quarry! LOL.

@Sheelegh Hanly….. there you go again, spouting off your false figures again, why don’t you get yourself up to date, surely you remember the last time you quoted figures

“one of which is said to contain a part of the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified” ? There is no historical evidence that this event ever took place, certainly the Romans never recorded it and they were quite good at keeping records of the various uprisings and other subversive activities which took place in their empire at that time. Whatever piece of wood that is allegedly contained within the cross is obviously a medieval fake just like all the other rubbish, ie Turin shroud etc but, of course these are valuable items of Irish folklore and it is a shame that they have been stolen like this, lets hope they are recovered intact.

Why on earth would you presume that these people were abused! This seems to be the excuse for all kinds of anti social and criminal behaviour nowadays. The media has done a terrific job of brainwashing the people of this country. Something like 0.3 per cent of abuse is done by priests and religious so why don’those 97 per cent of abused people who were abused by their fathers, uncles, brothers, sports coaches etc. take it out on someone else. What has been done at holycross abbey is shocking because of the significance, historical and spiritual of what has been stolen. These artefacts are irreplaceable and priceless and part of not just our heritage but part of Christian heritage throughout the world.

Apparently if all the pieces of the "true cross" were gathered together you could build a house. This is just a medieval scam. What’s the value of a forgery?

They should of course be very afraid, these scumbags, because vengeance is mine sayeth the Lord, allegedly

The one true cross my ass. Thumb down all ye like but that whole thing was a racket created way back in the day.

The burnt-out jeep was obviously destroyed by its demon flame-breath

So I gather that of someone walked into trinity tomo and stole the book of kells that no one would be too pushed. Sure it’s only a book. I’m not a religious person but as said above theft is theft. Would people here be happy if someone walked into their house stole all their valuables. No they wouldn’t. Wether ye like it or not the christen faith and thus monuments to this is part of our history and heritage.

Usually these things are stolen to slay some kind of demon.

Hey I have an idea. Apparently “Its very presence is believed to have motivated the reconstruction of the Abbey in the 15th century.” so… everyone keep an eye out an if you see what appears to be the beginnings of an Abbey being built in your area, call the gardai.

Exodus 22:22 Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child.

This means alot to some people and it’s terrible it has been stolen, probably be on sale in some flea Market in Europe soon.

I have some of Noah’s Ark I can donate to them in its place. If the price is right

Aw, Stewart, you’ve made my day :) No more comments needed!

i thought jeebus had a rubber cross

Cast off the wood, follow the gourd!

http://youtu.be/Ka9mfZbTFbk

Magical splinter stolen. Eyewitnesses report green humanoids dressed as ninjas seen in the area.

It was donated by my ancesters O’Briens Kings of Thormand.
They conned you all, that piece of wood came from an old horses cart.
HaHAHA FOOLS

Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness [of any thing] that [is] in heaven above, or that [is] in the earth beneath, or that [is] in the water under the earth

One way of getting compo from the church. Sell them, sorted.

Would the mention of Mr Bensons whistle be out of order?

Maybe the were excommunicated bishops or priest and a right pair of buggers who wanted to get their own back

If I get anymore thumbs down I will get hmmm hmmm Cross :-)

Such thefts are well known and should be expected.
Theft via Angle Grinder???
It is the sloppy guardians who should be slammed into prison.

It’s an inside job, or it might be the woodworms or a splinter group.
Another vatican scam, what a load of crap

How did the thieves miss the other sacred relics of the Church: Fear & loathing of women and of sex?

We can be a really daft excuse for a species sometime. Thor is better than Jesus. He did away with the giants! Beat that big boy.

Everyone has a cross to carry. Some more literal than others though.