THE theft of an altar from a Catholic church in Connemara has baffled gardai and shocked the small community of Tir an Fhia near Lettermore.
The wooden altar was installed a few years ago at a cost of about £3,000.
An overhanging wooden crucifix worth about £1,500 was also stolen. The theft was discovered by Father Kieran Blake on Thursday night when he went to close the church.
"I was so shocked that it took me 10 minutes to figure out what was missing. I knew something was missing," Father Blake said yesterday.
He was surprised that the altar and cross had been taken as they were "very traceable" and money, smaller pieces of furniture and other items were not taken.
"It seems that they specifically came for those two items. But who is going to buy an altar of dubious origin, whatever about a roll of carpet from the back of a van?" he said.
The altar and cross were designed by Mr Ray Carroll. The altar is made of mahogany with ornate wooden in lay panels depicting "The Road to Emmaus". The crucifix is made of similar material. Both were installed when the church was renovated in 1992.
Asked about the possibility that the items might be used for satanic ritual purposes, Father Blake said it was difficult to say what the theft motive was. Statues had been moved in the church on three or four occasions since October, but they were in no way defaced, he said.
The incident would force him to review security arrangements but, he said, he "would hate to see a situation where you would have to close the church night and day".
Gardai in Carraroe and the divisional headquarters in Salthill believe they could have been taken some days previously as there is no daily Mass at the Church of Mhuire gang Smal.
There has been a series of break ins to churches in north Galway in recent months with small items including money boxes, a vacuum cleaner, a keyboard and furniture taken.
There was nothing to link these with the altar theft, a Garda spokesman said. "This most recent theft is mystifying, but we are inclined to believe it was a professional job," he added.