Adare cottage fire: 'They've lost their home and family possessions'
By David Raleigh
Gardaí have said they do not suspect foul play after a major fire ripped through two historic cottages in Adare, Co Limerick on Saturday.
The fire began in one of a row of thatched cottages which have protection orders attached to them.
A forensic Garda at the scene. Picture: Press 22
Gardaí said they believed the fire began in part of the chimney stack of one of the houses, only seconds after it was lit by the occupant who then left the cottage to get some more fuel.
The fire took hold of the thatched roof within seconds and spread to an adjoining cottage. A third cottage was damaged by water but was saved from the inferno by fire crews who used three water tankers to quench the flames.
"There was a stove in the house and the woman lit it and went to get more fuel. She saw the fire coming from the chimney when she turned around and looked at the house. There are independent witnesses who saw it had begun in the chimney too," a Garda source said.
"There is nothing suspicious about it," the Garda added. "It's a terrible tragedy for the homeowners and because the houses are there so long."
The cottages were built in the 1820s by Lord Dunraven who also constructed the original Adare Manor and surrounding heritage town.
Six fire tenders from Rathkeale, Foynes, Newcastle West and Limerick a city fought the blaze for several hours. The picturesque village, which attracts around half a million visitors annually, was closed to traffic for most of Saturday.
Garda forensic officers spent most of Sunday at the scene.
The cottage where the fire started is owned by the Benson family where sisters Jane and Henriette reside.
The family was described as "traumatised" after the blaze.
A second cottage, due to be taken over by NAMA, was burned to the ground and serious water damage was caused to a third cottage.
The blaze broke out shortly after 1pm, just as a wedding was due to start across the road in the village's stunning 13th century Holy Trinity Abbey Church.
A total of 11 thatched cottages, which sit neatly in a row on the main street at Churchview, were built by the Dunraven family as staff houses.
The dwellings are one of the main attractions for tourists that come all year round from America, Asia and Europe.
Locals described it as a "horrible tragedy" for the Bensons, who lost their parents Willie and Mary recently.
Willie Benson, a skilled roof thatcher, died last February, a year after his beloved wife Mary passed away.
"Willie and Mary were a special couple and were passionate about keeping alive the rich history of Adare. It's a tragedy for the Bensons," said Maeve Martin Kelly, owner Adare Heritage Centre and PRO Adare Business Association.
Another business person, who did not wish to be named, said: "It's horrible. Their parents both passed away in the past two years. Jane and Henriette are in shock. I'm sure they're just traumatised. They've lost their family possessions and of course their home."
Locals said the second cottage, destroyed in the fire, is owned by an Irish American businessman who resides in New York and that it was to be added to portfolio owned by the National Asset Management Agency.
A woman who had been renting the property in a caretaker role, and was preparing to move out, lost all her possessions in the fire after she had packed everything into boxes.
A third cottage, home to Lucy Erridge crafts, sustained serious water damage but was saved from the fire.
Brian Hayes, proprietor of the Blue Door Restaurant, located a few yards from the Benson home but which escaped the fire, described the loss of the cottages as "bad for Adare and bad for tourism".
Adare is known as a location for celebrity weddings. Local hotels, The Dunraven Arms and Adare Manor, have played host to members of the British Royal Family, movie stars, and the world's top golfers for the JP McManus Charity Pro Am.
Gardaí described at one stage "traffic chaos" as throngs of motorists entered the village, via the N21, from Limerick and Kerry.
No one was injured in the fire.
