A GARDA investigation has begun into the cause of a fire that extensively damaged a landmark Dublin pub early yesterday morning.
Nobody was injured in the blaze at the Merrion Inn on Merrion Road, beside a petrol station and opposite St Vincent’s hospital.
The alarm was raised shortly after 4am, and five units of Dublin fire brigade attended the fire, which took a number of hours to extinguish.
A Garda forensic team attended the scene yesterday for an initial investigation, which will continue today.
The main part of the fire was in the roof, which was extensively damaged and part of it collapsed. The upstairs area was also damaged. The downstairs area suffered major water damage in the effort to extinguish the blaze.
It is understood one of the lines of inquiry being considered is that the fire started outside the pub. CCTV footage is being examined, but initial indications are that it was accidental.
Part of Merrion Road was closed off for number of hours while emergency services dealt with the blaze
A long-established pub, frequented by sports fans, and particularly rugby supporters, it was remodelled in 1991 when the current owners, the McCormack family, took over the premises and introduced a bar food menu. The family, three generations of which have worked in the business, also own McCormack’s of Mounttown in Dún Laoghaire.