The historic baths at Dun Laoghaire were severely damaged in a fire yesterday evening. Three units of Dun Laoghaire fire brigade were called to deal with the blaze, which began at around 7 p.m.
A spokesman for the fire brigade said the fire was caused deliberately and had taken until 11 p.m. to extinguish. Although destroyed inside, he said the building was structurally sound.
The baths, which closed in 1997, were derelict and have in recent years been seen as something of an eyesore. Witnesses said that the roof had fallen in due to the blaze and that firemen had difficulty entering the building due to its state of disrepair.