A Catholic church was targeted in Drogheda in the early hours of yesterday morning – the second such attack in Louth in less than two weeks.

Planters on either side of the entrance to St Augustine’s Church, on Shop Street, Drogheda, were smashed after trees planted inside them were pulled over.

The incident came less than two weeks after a fire was deliberately started inside Tinure Church, in Monasterboice.

The latest incident shocked Mass-goers who arrived at the church to find the ceramic planters shattered outside the church doors.

Aontú representative Michael O’Dowd said: ‘These planters were smashed in an act of wanton vandalism. I have no idea why anyone would feel the need to create such damage to plants which were beautifying the area.

‘Anyone with information on this should contact the Augustinians or the Gardaí.’

Last Thursday week, significant damage in the gallery area of the Church of the Immaculate Conception, in Tenure, was caused after papers were set alight in a waste bin and placed beneath a pew.

Parish priest, Fr Paddy Rushe, said the fire was discovered shortly before 9pm that evening but he believes it may have started several hours earlier, around 2pm that afternoon.

He told LMFM Radio afterwards: ‘It was smouldering and when it was discovered the church was full of smoke. We were very lucky, very lucky it didn’t burst into flames.’

Gardaí confirmed they are investigating the incident and that a technical examination of the scene has been carried out.

There have been a number of attacks on churches in recent months, including two in March when parish churches in Castletown Geoghegan and Kilbeggan, in Co. Westmeath suffered suspected arson attacks on the same morning.

Arsonists tried to set the buildings ablaze by placing diesel and rags against the front doors.

Reporting by Pat Flanagan