Anger as memorial to slain soldier is defaced

The defacing of the Paddy Kelly memorial in Moate has been slammed this week after the writing on the memorial stone was covered in black paint, and the inscription concealed. The stone, which was moved from Paddy Kelly Park in Moate to the Clara Road some years ago, remembers Private Paddy Kelly who lost his life in December 1983 when he was fatally shot during the rescue of kidnapped supermarket boss Don Tidey in Ballinamore, Co. Leitrim. Nobody has ever been convicted in connection with his killing. The inscription on the memorial reads: "Private Patrick Kelly, HQ Coy, 6 Inf Bn. Died while in aid to the civil power on the 16th December 1983 at Derrada Wood, Ballinamore, Co. Leitrim. Remembered with pride by his family, comrades and the people of Moate." Local councillor Tom Allen (FF) lashed out at those behind the vandalism this week, saying the defacing of a monument erected in the memory of a man who gave his life for his country was a disgrace. "It's nothing short of vandalism," he told the Westmeath Independent yesterday (Tuesday) afternoon. "It's very sad to think that people have nothing better to do and have such twisted minds to do something like that." He said the memorial was erected by Paddy Kelly's friends in a bid to recognise the sacrifice he made and it was disgraceful to see it treated in such a manner. "These people have idle minds. They'd be better off doing something with their time. The Kelly family is very respected in the town of Moate and have lots of friends and it only takes one stupid twit to do something like this," he said. "It's not alone this plaque, but on private houses and walls and bridges. It costs time and money to put up these things. Maybe they're young, but they should learn. Why they can't learn to respect other people's property, I just don't know." Fine Gael Cllr Joe Whelan described the vandalism as sickening. "It's horrific. It's sickening to think that people could have such a lack of respect. It's appalling. I don't know what sense of achievement or pride they get out of it. I hope they sleep well with their conscience," he said. "It's appalling, absolutely appalling. Obviously the people who carried it out hadn't a speck of the bravery Paddy Kelly had in serving his country. It's sickening." It is not the first time the family has been subjected to acts of vandalism. In 2009 the home of two of Paddy Kelly's sons was vandalised with graffiti on three separate occasions, with slogans painted on the walls of the house. Patrick Kelly's son David Kelly last year confronted Sinn Féin presidential candidate Martin McGuinness calling on him to reveal the names of those who killed his father.