TWO CATHOLIC PARISHES in Co Westmeath have been left “very shaken” by separate arson attacks on churches over the weekend.

At around 2am on Friday morning, the first arson attack was reported at St. James Church in Kilbeggan.

A spokesperson for the parish said that “cloths were laid across the front door of the church and diesel oil was poured over them before being set alight”.

Cloths set alight on steps of St. Michaels Church

Shortly afterwards, parish priest Fr. Brendan Corrigan received a notification from a smoke alarm monitoring station and he attended the church and was able to quench the fire with a fire extinguisher.

The parish said the damage was “significant but thankfully limited due to the early interventions”.

A few hours later, a similar fire was started at the door of St. Michael’s Parish Church in the Castletown Geoghegan Parish, around 10 kilometres away.

A spokesperson remarked that “once again, cloths and diesel oil were used to ignite the main door of the church”.

The parish praised the work of local church volunteer Mike Garvin, who alerted the fire service and parish priest Fr. Barry Condron.

“Were it not for the quick actions of Mike Garvin and the subsequent intervention of the fire services, the church would have been ingulfed with fire within 10 to 15 minutes,” said the parish spokesperson.

“Both the earlier than usual arrival of Mike Garvin at the church and close proximity of the fire services who were already mobilised having dealt with another incident was fortuitous in the extreme according,” said Fr Condron.

Fr Condron said it was a great shock to receive a call in the early hours of an arson attack and that this “shock of seeing the fire in the church was further compounded when members of the fire services said the fire was deliberately started”.

A parish spokesperson added: “Thankfully the fire had been restricted to the entrance area and was extinguished just in time, although there was some smoke damage to the church.”

Fr Condron expressed his “sincere thanks” to Mike Garvin and “credits him for saving the Church in Castletown”.

Both priests also thanked the Westmeath Fire Service for “their quick and professional response”, as well as gardaí who “responded promptly and who are continuing their investigations”.

Fr Condron also thanked the “wonderful” people within the parish for “all their help and actions”.

Damage to door of St Michael's Church

Both churches remained open over the weekend and repairs will commence shortly.

A garda spokesperson said emergency services were alerted to the arson attack at St. Michael’s Parish Church at around 4.30am on Friday, 6 March.

No injuries were reported and the scene was preserved for a technical examination.

Gardaí also attended a separate incident at St. James Church in Kilbeggan.

Investigations are ongoing and gardaí have appealed for anyone with information about these incidents to make contact.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Kilbeggan Garda Station on (057) 9332102, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.