Gardaí probe suspected arson at former hotel

A Garda technical examination was carried out yesterday morning following the second suspected arson at the Corrib Great Southern Hotel in five months.
The fire broke out on the fourth floor on Wednesday afternoon but one unit of the Galway Fire Brigade soon had the blaze under control.
Yesterday morning, a forensic team carried out a technical examination of the scene – this time the fire was contained to some bedrooms on the fourth floor. Last March the blaze caused extensive damage to bedrooms on the third and fourth floor.
Councillor Michael Crowe has called on the owners of the derelict building, developers, the Comer Brothers to secure the site to put a stop to young people getting in there.
“I have said it already, months ago, that this building should be secured by the owners before anyone is seriously injured or worse.
“There’s easy access into the derelict hotel through the lower levels and I have seen youngsters in there myself when I went onsite to see how they were getting in.
“I spoke to the owners but they did a patch job, it wasn’t enough as is obvious with this second fire on the premises this week.
“I have had representations from residents in Woodhaven nearby about the state of the site and the building. It’s not good enough for the Comer Brothers to be earning goodwill in the city by sponsoring the Galway soccer team and, on the other hand, allowing one of the properties to become an eyesore like this, causing grief to local people,” said Cllr Crowe.
For more on this story, see the Galway City Tribune.