Vacant house in Dungloe ‘destroyed’ after being set alight
A vacant house in Dungloe was destroyed by fire .
The fire occurred between 3am and 5am on Tuesday, August 11; however, an investigation into the circumstances is ongoing.
“Fire Services attended the scene to extinguish the fire; nobody was injured, but the property was destroyed,” Garda Padraig McFadden said.
The house is located in Radharc An Seascan, a 15-house estate built in Meenmore, which is uninhabited because it began to sink. Completed around 2007, within a year the entire site suffered subsidence as it was built on a peat bog. Residents had to move out, and now, years later, the estate lies derelict and vacant.
Independent councillor Micheál Choilm Mac Giolla Easbuig highlighted the recent damage to a property in the estate by sharing a video on social media.
“I've been highlighting this for a long time: the state of this housing estate and how it sank, and talked about developers possibly unregulated and people losing the homes they bought,” he said.
“I remember when these houses were built and myself and my sister put up the blinds in most of these houses for them and then for the whole estate to sink and everything they've lost.
“Then Somebody decided to set one of the houses on fire. That's not acceptable; extremely dangerous, putting people's lives at risk. The emergency services putting them at risk. Absolutely desperate that nothing has been done to date with these houses.”
Gardaí are continuing to appeal for witnesses and ask anyone who was in the area of Meenmore, Dungloe with dash-cam footage to make it available. Anyone who can assist the investigation is asked to contact Gardaí in Ballyshannon on 071-9858530 or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111.