Gardaí are investigating after St Brigid’s Church in Milltown was ransacked in the early hours of Saturday morning last.

The alarm was raised by a man visiting his mother’s grave at 8am on Saturday morning.

Several sacred items taken from the Church have since been recovered in the Newbridge area by Gardaí but their condition is not known at this stage.

The raiders took the tabernacle containing Communion hosts from the altar area.

They also threw the priests’ vestments on the floor and removed a safe and a candle stand.

A stained glass window at the side of the Church was broken and the back door was kicked in.

It’s understood parish priest Fr Willie Byrne and curate For Brian Kavanagh were very shocked and upset by the incident.

At Sunday morning Mass, Fr Kavanagh asked for prayers to be said for the perpetrators.