This article is from page 15 of the 2006-01-17 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 15 JPG
TWO parochial houses were broken into and an attempt was made to raid a third in north Clare on Sunday afternoon.
A sum of money was stolen from Newquay parochial house, after the safe was broken into. The keys to the church were also taken.
In Ballyvaughan, keys to the church were also taken after intruders gained entry to the parochial house.
Both incidents are understood to have happened between 1pm and 5pm.
An attempt was also made to break in to the parochial house in Ennistymon but the intruders made off emptyhanded after the alarm was activated, at 3.30pm.
“The scenes were preserved for technical examination and we conducted house-to-house enquiries,” said Ennistymon Supt Eamon Dolan.
He said a number of raids on churches took place across the country over Christmas and suggested this may be “copycat crime.”
“We are not ruling out that these may be linked. Three areas were targeted on a Sunday afternoon.
“We are keeping an open mind at this stage and are appealing to anyone who may have seen anything suspicious to come forward,” added Supt Dolan.