Vandals target historic church in Carrick town centre

The church, which kept its doors unlocked during the day, had been targeted by vandals for a considerable period over the summer months.

Hundreds of pounds worth of damage had been caused after windows were broken and graffiti appeared on some of the pews.

The church is one of the oldest churches in Ireland, and one of the top tourist attractions in Carrick.

At the time the vestry was considering denying the public access to the church outside the hours of the services which took place each Sunday.

This would have been a disappointment to the hundreds of visitors who travelled each year to see the town centre church.

If public access was closed during the week, the through-way would be cut-off between Market Street and Lancasterian Street.

One example of the damage which had been caused included a stained glass window being smashed. This resulted in the church having to pay £350 to have the window fixed.

Graffiti also appeared on some of the pews and doors inside the building.