Sometime between June 26th and 27th, unknown perpetrators beheaded the marble statue of former archbischop Patrick Leahy that is only a few meters away from the main entrance of the Cathdral of the Assumption in Thurles, County Tipperary, which is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly. The statue was 'an integral part of the heritage and fabric of the town of Thurles' according to superintendent Pat Murphyand and Irish police Gardaí, who are investigating and appealing for witnesses, described it as a 'wanton act of violence' to decapitate it and then steal the head.
The Archbishop of Cashel and Emly, Kieran O'Reilly, said: "I have been moved by the reaction of the people of the town of Thurles, and throughout the diocese, arising from this act of vandalism. It is my hope that the statue can be restored as soon as possible."