Blaze destroys historic church
Firefighters battle a blaze at the former church attached to the Artane industrial school in north Dublin
More photos:Monday September 08 2008
A NORTH Dublin landmark went up in flames last night as a fire swept through the former church attached to the Artane industrial school.
Six units of the Dublin Fire Brigade were called to the scene at St David's National School in Artane, north Dublin, at 6.40pm yesterday, after locals saw massive plumes of smoke.
They were still battling the blaze two hours later but had the fire under control, although thick clouds of black smoke could be seen from as far away as Dublin city centre.
The former Christian Brothers' industrial school, dating back to 1831, is the home of the Artane Boys Band, now called the Artane Band, which entertained the crowds at yesterday's All-Ireland final.
Gutted
The church was completely gutted. However, the fire did not cause any damage to the band's rehearsal space nearby.
Tony Doherty, a band member and music teacher at the school, said he raced to the scene when he heard about the fire.
"I took off like a light but luckily it's just an empty hall."
However, he said the church is a local landmark and residents in the area are sad to see it go up in flames.
"It's a large piece of history and has stood as a landmark," he said. Cillian Murphy, who lives directly behind the school, said he saw smoke coming from the church and immediately notified the fire brigade.
Bernadette May, a member of the St David's Park residents committee, said the schoolyard has come under siege at night by gangs of teenagers who drink and carry on in the park.
Gardai could not say whether the fire was set deliberately but confirmed that the cause of the blaze is under investigation.
However, Mrs May said she suspects a teenage gang may have intentionally or accidentally sparked the blaze. "Residents are at their wits end. Any of the kids in the area could have been killed here today," she said.
- Allison Bray
