Joggers and walkers were horrified to find disgusting graffiti scrawled in a beloved Dublin park this morning.
The hateful slogan "Brits Out" was daubed across across a monument in the Irish National War Memorial Gardens in Islandbridge.
The beautiful park is popular with locals is dedicated to the memory of 49,400 Irish soldiers who died in the First World War while serving in the British Army.
A British woman who has lived in Ireland for over a decade told Dublin Live she was shocked when she saw the hate-filled slogan.
She said “I don’t agree with war in any shape or form but the First World War saw 49,000 Irish soldiers give their lives, along with 700,000 British soldiers, fighting for global peace and freedom.
"Their memory and sacrifice should never be forgotten or sullied. If we forget and live in hate, we only move closer to war again.”
The beloved garden near Kilmainham is managed by the Office of Public Works and has stood for over 80 years.
It was designed by renowned memorialist Sir Edwin Lutyens and has been the site of several significant commemorations in recent years.
During Queen Elizabeth II's visit to Ireland in 2011 she and President Mary McAleese laid wreaths in memory of Irish soldiers who died in both World Wars.
A state ceremony to mark the centenary of the Battle of the Somme also took place there in July 2016.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny and President Michael D Higgins both attended the event and laid wreaths in memory of Irish soldiers who fought in one of the deadliest battles in human history.
A spokeswoman for the OPW told Dublin Live they have removed the graffiti.
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