VANDALS BROKE INTO a community garden in Dublin overnight and stole everything in it – including the Christmas lights.

Tables, ornaments, decorations and gardening equipment were all taken from the garden in Clondalkin, which was set up by people living in the area on a plot of land which had been left derelict.

All of the items which were taken had been donated to the garden.

“They cleared everything out,” said Stephanie Gorman, who runs the St Mark’s Community Garden. “It’s tough seeing it all like this. The kids in the area keep knocking in, telling us that the garden’s after being robbed. It’s their garden, really. They love it”.

Stephanie had a Christmas tree in her home which she had been planning to bring down to the garden on Sunday. “We still have the Christmas tree but no Christmas lights now,” she said.

The garden was surrounded by high railings and was locked when the theft took place. The thieves cut the railings in order to gain access.

Children watering plants in the garden (Pic: St Mark’s Environmental Group/Facebook)

The community had planned to start a men’s shed initiative next year, with local men getting together to work on gardening, but Gorman said that this will now have to be postponed indefinitely.

The garden project last month came second in the all-Ireland Pride of Place awards which recognise improvements by local communities to create civic pride in their area.

Gorman said she is not optimistic about any of the items being recovered, but said that the garden will remain open. “I’d say it’s all gone for good, but it’s not going to stop us,” she said. “We’re going to keep on going”.

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