HISTORIC FERMOY HOUSE GUTTED IN FIRE
A significant piece of local history was lost when Fermoy House was destroyed in a fire last weekend with gardai treating the incident as suspicious. Fermoy Fire Brigade received a call after 11pm on Saturday night last, May 21 to report trees on fire.
“The people that rang the station were at the Blackwater Caravan Park and they reported some trees on fire when it was, in fact, Fermoy House,” fire officer, Eric Dahill told The Avondhu.
PURE LUCK
“The fire started in the bedroom upstairs which spread very quickly due to the ashfelt flooring and tar roof. We were there for the whole night and for half of Sunday as well. We had to ensure the fire was completely out and then check that there were no casualties. It was pure luck that no one was in there, as people were using the place for parties. It was also being used as office space for the people doing the flood plan,” Mr Dahill added.
The top floor of Fermoy House was completely gutted, and firemen used a JCB to knock it in and make it safe. Ornate chandeliers that hung in the downstairs area were also destroyed in the blaze.
NO AFFECT
“90% of the house has been gutted, and it couldn’t have been due to an electrical fault as there was no electricity connected,” Eric Dahill told The Avondhu.
John Kelly, flood relief officer for the OPW, said that the fire would have no affect on plans for phase 2 of the flood relief project.
“The site was being used as office space for workers on the Fermoy scheme. All it means is that new office space will be required, and there won’t be any delay in the planned works,” he told The Avondhu.
TECHNICAL EXAMINATION
Originally built by John Anderson, the building, located on the Mallow side of the Blackwater, was known locally as Fermoy House. It had been boarded up and unoccupied for some time but up to the fire was being used as an office for workers on the Fermoy flood relief scheme.
Following the fire the scene was preserved and technically examined by the Garda Technical Bureau who are treating the blaze as suspicious.
Published:
Friday 27th May 4:09pm
