A group of nuns in County Cork have been “very touched” by the outpouring of public support after thieves stole barrowloads of apples from their orchard.
Around ten wheelbarrow-loads of apples were stolen from the sisters at the Priory of St Benedict in Cobh last Friday.
The nuns use the apples to make chutney and other produce to sell at the tearoom in the convent.
The theft led to anger in Cork and beyond and yesterday, the Office of Public Works (OPW) stepped in with a delivery of six boxes of fresh apples to keep the sisters going.
Apples grow in an orchard in Germany, 10-08-2020. Image: Caroline Seidel/DPA/PA ImagesThis morning, the prioress of the convent, Mother Catherine Underwood said a ‘lot of good really has come out of a selfish act.’
“We thought that was a very generous and kind gesture from the OPW to kind of come to our aid,” she said.
“We have also been very touched by the general good feeling and support that has come from around the country after all of this.”
Mother Catherine said "the whole country has been rallying around" the convent since the news broke.
“It has actually been a lot of good really that has come out of a selfish act.”
An apple on a tree in Germany, 05-08-2020. Image: Klaus-Dietmar Gabbert/DPA/PA ImagesShe said the nuns were shocked to find their trees bare last weekend.
“We went out to harvest our apples and found out they had been harvested already,” she said.
“That 10 wheelbarrows figure is my estimate trying to quantify the number of apples.
“It was a lot of apples and I don’t think we will ever know how they managed to get them out of our orchard.”
She said the OPW gift, with potentially more on the way, will allow them to continue with their fundraising plans over the coming months.
