Yet another gross act of sacrilege has taken place in Northern Ireland, this time in the city of Londonderry.
Young people stole a valuable oil-painting of the Right Reverend and Right Honourable Frederick Hervey (pronounced Harvey), 4th Earl of Bristol and Lord Bishop of Derry, who became known as the Earl-Bishop. The Earl-Bishop's main Ulster residence was Downhill Castle in County Londonderry.
Dozens of ignorant, depraved and criminal thugs treated this portrait without any respect at all; moreover they enjoyed the act of destroying a piece of local history. It is utterly outrageous.
I heard the Dean of Derry, the Very Reverend William Morton, interviewed about this vile crime yesterday.
As I understand it (from the BBC News clip), it wasn't an oil painting which was stolen, but a reproduction of it on a board hoarding which had been displayed in the church grounds. This doesn't diminish the act of disrespect, but it does mean that the original painting itself was not damaged.
ReplyDeleteThank goodness for that. Glad to hear that it was merely a replica. I retract some of the sting in my tail!
ReplyDeleteGood to hear from you,
Tim