Search
22 Oct 2025
Search
22 Oct 2025
Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content.
Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist.
If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter .
Support our mission and join our community now.
To continue reading this article, you can subscribe for as little as €0.50 per week which will also give you access to all of our premium content and archived articles!
Alternatively, you can pay €0.50 per article, capped at €1 per day.
Thank you for supporting Ireland's best local journalism!
A recent post on the An Garda Síochana Kilkenny Facebook page, wishing our local Muslim Community 'Eid Mubarak' has received some negative reaction online, raising concerns that gardaí ignore other religious faiths.
The Facebook post, published on Sunday, March 30 read; "Our Community Engagement Unit were delighted once again to be guests of the local Islamic Community as they celebrate the end of Ramadan with Eid celebrations. Thank you for your hospitality."
Some social media users reacted unfavourably to their post. One person commented, "I don't remember An Garda Síochana Kilkenny ever making posts celebrating Christian holidays," while another person, questioned, "assuming ye will be visiting the Catholic church at Easter Sunday?"
PICTURES: Take a peek at this brand new Kilkenny housing estate!
However, many posters to the site welcomed the local gardaí's well wishes.
"Thank You for accepting us as #Islam is a religion of peace. THANKS Once Again."
"Sadly, racist bigots are going to do what racist bigots do. It's a shame you've felt you needed to post this, anyone that actually follows this page knows you do lots of community engagement stuff."
Meanwhile, Kilkenny gardaí reacted themselves to the controversial post, stating: "Our Community Engagement Unit interacts with those of all faiths and none.
"Every Good Friday, we take pride in leading the Way of the Cross Procession from St John's," they added.
"We enter a tree into St Canice's Cathedral Christmas Tree Exhibition and read a lesson in their Carol Service.
"Our community bus has been used to bring a group to Knock Basilica and our members are involved in what our Community is involved in," they continued.
"It may not suit some but we will continue to interact with the whole community. Today, after a Mother's Day post, itself derived from Mothering Sunday, a traditionally Christian celebration we greeted our friends from a large cohort in our Community on one of their most significant days of celebration.
"One day in 65. It makes you think," the post concluded.
Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie
Buy the e-paper of the Donegal Democrat, Donegal People's Press, Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles.
Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm.
This publication supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice of the Press Council. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at www.presscouncil.ie, Lo-call 1800 208 080 or email: info@presscouncil.ie.
