Only a matter of days after signs created for a queer art installation in Cork were stolen and destroyed, it has now been reported that Pride flags in Sligo Town and Claremorris have been torn down.

In the Sligo Town incident, the flag had been hanging outside the Penny Cafe – a queer owned business – for many months. Over the weekend, the flag was torn down and destroyed in the process.

In Claremorris, Pride flags and flagpoles donated by the local Flynn’s Pharmacy in support of the LGBTQ+ community were completely destroyed.

OutWest, the support group for the LGBTQ+ community in the west of Ireland, and Sligo Pride shared on their social media pages: “This is sad, disheartening, and disgusting that this is happening. In response to those unacceptable acts, we call for all the LGBT+ community, their families, friends and allies to come together and show their support to the community in Claremorris and Sligo by putting up flags on their windows.

“We also would like to donate to the Claremorris Community the replacement of the poles and flags that have been destroyed. Our community is strong, and we won’t let these acts of hate put us down.”

There have been multiple reports of homophobic vandalism in recent months, with Pride flags outside Waterford’s city council offices being repeatedly destroyed, and Pantibar in Dublin being the target of homophobic graffiti.

The signs destroyed in Cork were part of the Queer Code instillation in Fitzgerald’s Park. They contained QR codes which allowed people to access monologues and poetry by the LINC Drama group.

While the signs have since been replaced, LINC at the time shared on their social media, “While we hope that this type of homophobic vandalism is behind us in Ireland, today at the start of Cork Pride we are once again reminded of the battles that still need to be fought.”