Roscommon Cricket Club has been left reeling after its clubhouse was vandalised and hate messages were scrawled across its walls.
The incident came to light last Saturday when local Tidy Towns volunteers noticed smoke coming from the clubhouse at the club’s grounds in Roscommon Town and contacted club officials.
Intruders had forcibly entered the clubhouse, located at ‘The Lough’ in the town. The locks had been broken and cricket equipment was left damaged and scattered inside and outside the premises. Empty cans of alcohol were also found inside.
A fire had also been deliberately lit inside the building, and although it was contained, it damaged a significant amount of equipment. Club members suspect some of the gear, such as cricket bats, was deliberately burnt in the fire.
Members were even more shocked when they discovered hate messages graffiti spray-painted on the clubhouse walls.
“This shows so much hate against us. We feel terrible. It’s not just about the damage. It’s the message behind it. This is very upsetting for our club and its volunteers, who have worked hard to promote cricket, encourage participation and build a welcoming sporting community in Roscommon,” said club secretary, Retheesh Thankappan.
Roscommon Cricket Club has been left reeling after its clubhouse, equipment and walls were vandalised.
The club currently has around 35 members, many of whom have been living and working in Roscommon for years within the healthcare sector. Club officials stressed that membership is open to everyone and that they actively encourage people from all backgrounds to take part.
Mr Thankappan said members have been left deeply upset by the attack. “Everybody is a bit down over what has happened. We’ve worked hard over the last two years and were hoping to move forward next season. Now people are worried about bringing in new equipment because they are afraid something like this could happen again.”
He also explained that the financial burden of the damage to the equipment falls entirely on the club because its insurance exclusively covers public liability rather than property loss.
Mr Thankappan said the incident has been reported to gardaí but he fears identifying those responsible may prove difficult.
The cricket season finished in late September, and the clubhouse had remained locked since then. Club members are predominantly from the Indian community.
Gardaí confirmed to the Herald that they are investigating criminal damage by fire at a shed in Loughnaneane Park, Roscommon on Saturday, November 7th.
A Garda spokesperson said that a technical examination of the scene had been carried out. Investigations are ongoing.
