Gardai are investigating two major fires in Dublin and Cork on Saturday night, which were still being fought by fire brigades yesterday afternoon.
Thirteen units of the Dublin Fire Brigade from stations all over the city were called out to tackle a huge fire in a three storey building in Glasnevin.
The former convent building at the corner of Iona Road and Francis Road in Glasnevin caught fire about 9 p.m. on Saturday and was reported to be "well alight" by fire brigade staff. The fire brigades battled the blaze throughout the night and five units continued their efforts until 10 a.m. yesterday. One unit remained at the still smouldering building yesterday afternoon.
According to a Garda spokesman, renovation work to convert the building into residential apartments was apparently almost completed, but no one was resident at the time and there were no injuries. Dublin Fire Brigade says it is too early to establish a cause, but a Garda investigation is under way.
The 260 jobs at the Kepak meat processing plant at Watergrasshill in Co Cork are in doubt following the huge fire which destroyed it shortly after midnight on Saturday. No one was injured in the fire, but a large cold-storage building full of meat was extensively damaged, and the roof collapsed. Twelve fire brigade units from stations in Fermoy, Cobh and Midleton were sent to the plant, and one unit was still contending with the smoke yesterday evening.
A spokesman for the city brigade said the fire was difficult to reach. The roof of the building had caved in and the fire had continued to burn under the rubble.
The site has been preserved for technical examination, and gardai have begun to examine the scene. They say there is nothing to suggest the fire was maliciously started. An electrical fault is a possible cause.