Corkagh Park commemorative stone being removed
Vandalised plaque in Corkagh Park now in council storage
A commemorative stone and plaque marking the opening of Corkagh Park in the 1980s has been removed by the council after it was vandalised earlier this month.
The plaque on the stone bore an inscription marking the official opening of the park in July 1986 by the then chairman of Dublin County Council, Ray Burke.
A member of the Facebook group Friends of Corkagh Park shared a picture of the damaged plaque in early August, showing that Mr Burke’s name had been chiseled off.
The Fianna Fáil TD and councillor was a minister under both Charles Haughey and Bertie Ahern, and was investigated by the Planning Tribunal over bribery allegations from his time as a councillor in Dublin County Council.
Appointed as Minister of Foreign Affairs by Bertie Ahern in 1997, Mr Burke resigned within months over allegations that he had received bribes from a property developer of up to IR£80,000.
Mr Burke also received payments from the backers of an independent radio station Century Radio, which he failed to declare and led to him serving four-and-a-half months in Arbour Hill for making false tax returns, the most senior Irish politicians to serve time.
Chiselled damage seen on stone
In 2015, the Planning Tribunal withdrew their findings of corruption against him after issues arose with witness testimony.
Another member of the Friends of Corkagh Park shared a picture on August 19, showing the stone and plaque being removed.
In response to a query from The Echo, South Dublin County Council confirmed they had removed the stone, and that it was not a further act of vandalism.
“The council has removed the old stone and the damaged plaque and have put
them into storage,” a council spokesperson said.
“The damage is being assessed, and a decision will be made whether to repair or replace the plaque and the setting.”
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