#EU #Ireland – On March 6, 2026 (early hours of Friday morning), two Catholic churches in County Westmeath, Ireland, were targeted in suspected arson attacks within hours of each other. No injuries were reported, and quick intervention by emergency services and locals limited the damage primarily to the entrance areas.
1. St. James’ Church, Kilbeggan Parish
- Location: Kilbeggan, a town in central Westmeath.
- Incident: Around 2:00 a.m., cloths (or rags) soaked in diesel were placed across the main front door and set alight. This caused significant but contained damage to the entrance area.
- The fire was discovered and responded to promptly, preventing it from spreading further into the building.
2. St. Michael’s Parish Church, Castletown Geoghegan Parish
- Location: Castletown Geoghegan (sometimes referred to as Castle Geoghegan), about 10 km (roughly 6 miles) from Kilbeggan.
- Incident: Around 4:30 a.m., a similar method was used—cloths and diesel oil were placed on the main door and ignited. Gardaí and fire services attended the scene.
- Damage was again limited to the door/entrance due to rapid response.
Gardaí (Irish police) treated both as incidents of criminal damage by fire (arson) and launched investigations, including technical examinations of the scenes. They described the attacks as separate but similar in method, and inquiries were ongoing in the days following.
Local communities and parishes were reported as “very shaken” by the incidents. Parish Priest Fr. Barry Condron (associated with the Castletown Geoghegan area) described the events as a nightmare scenario for any church community and praised community support and what he called possible “divine intervention” in limiting the damage.
Political reaction included condemnation from local representatives, such as Minister of State Robert Troy, who called the acts “absolutely disgraceful.”
The attacks drew attention from Irish media and Catholic outlets, which noted them as suspected arson targeting places of worship
Image: Westmeath Fire Services seen responding to the arson that occurred Friday, March 6th.
