Thousands of euro of damage has been done to part of a glass monument in Tralee Town Park which lists the names of the several hundreds of roses, Irish and international, who have taken part in the Rose of Tralee festival since its inception 66 years ago.
Gardaí believe the damage was deliberate.
They described the suspect as a male aged in his late teens or early 20s.
They said the suspect was at the Rose Garden in Tralee on Tuesday evening with others and was captured on CCTV throwing stones until the glass shattered and left once the damage was done.
The incident occurred at around 5.40pm on Tuesday.
Gardaí at Tralee garda station said they are viewing CCTV footage and are appealing for anyone with further clearer footage to come forward.
The footage showed the male throwing stones at the panel, they said.
"Obviously the intention was to damage the glass panel. It wasn't by mistake. When the glass shattered all four left," gardaí said.
An estimated €9,000 of damage was done to the panel which is part of a series of glass panels surrounding the principal festival monument in the Rose Garden.
Deputy Mayor of Tralee Cllr Angie Baily has strongly condemned the damage which she said struck at the heart of the town and its culture.
She said the monument is "a cornerstone" of the town’s identity and this was an attack on the town's heritage.
The names represented Tralee’s international links and international friendship, Cllr Baily said.
"They are not just names but the stories of generations of women who have left our shores," she said.
There has been outrage locally at the vandalism of the monument which is set in the Rose Garden of the 35-acre Tralee Town Park.
The series of glass panels where names are inscribed each year surrounds the bronze life-sized statues of Mary O'Connor, the original Rose of Tralee and subject of the song, and her lover William Mulchinock.
The panels contain the name of every rose who participated in the festival since 1959 as well as the history and story of the Rose of Tralee and festival.
