Garda inquiry on Dublin church petrolbombing

Gardai in Dublin are investigating the circumstances surrounding the petrol-bombing of a Methodist church yesterday morning.

Clontarf Methodist Church, at the junction on Clontarf Road and St Lawrence's Road, was extensively damaged in the fire which was spotted by a passer-by at about 5.30 a.m.

Rev Noel Fallows, who was called to the scene by gardai shortly after 6 a.m., said the fire was concentrated at the front end of the church in the choir stalls. "The pews were pretty much gutted and there was smoke damage which would affect the organ, the pews and the books.

"It is difficult to know why this happened, or what happened. We like to feel we are friends of anybody in the community, but folk are very resilient, we still feel we have a positive presence and the intention is to continue with business as usual. We have a hall at the back of the church and we will hold services there until we can resume services in the church."

According to Supt Nicholas Conneely of Raheny gardai a petrol bomb was lobbed through a side window of the church and ignited inside the building.

"Whether it was done by an individual, by more than one person, by someone with a `cause' of some kind or whether it was a `yahoo' we don't know. there were no witnesses, but we have preserved the scene and it is being examined technical experts," he said. "We're doing house-to-house questioning and we'll just have to hope something emerges. But it's early days yet," he said.

The Methodist congregation across north Dublin numbers about 250, said Mr Fallows. About 40 to 50 attend the United Service on Sundays. He wanted to express his sincere thanks for the "great support" he had received from other clergy and from TDs in the area, he added.