Heartache for renowned stable owners as two horses die in fire
THE founder of one of the North West’s best known stables has spoken of her family’s immense trauma after two horses were killed in a fire.
Seven horses were inside a stable block in the early hours of Sunday when the blaze started.
A female relative in her 20s was treated for smoke inhalation at the scene before being transferred to Altnagelvin Hospital.
Forensic scientists remained at the site yesterday but early indications suggest the cause was accidental.
Geraldine Graham, who set up Lenamore Stables on the Irish border between Londonderry and Muff in Co Donegal almost half a century ago, was awoken by a loud explosion which alerted her to the fire.
She said the shock of what has happened has caused so much distress to her and her son who now runs the business.
She said: “I was woken at 5.45am by the sound of a huge explosion. I opened the curtains and saw a towering inferno.
“I knew right away it was the stables and I called for my son and we ran as fast as we could, but by the time we reached the stables... there were two horses that didn’t make it.
“We managed to rescue five but we didn’t get them all out.
“We have been so traumatised by this. This is just so distressing for me and for my son, we are The damage caused at Lenamore Stables on the Londonderry/Donegal border outside Muff where a fire claimed the lives of two horses. Inset, Geraldine Graham from Lenamore Stables
completely devastated. Our whole life has been poured into these stables, we have been here over 45 years.” She added: “The cost of the damage will run into hundreds of thousands of pounds but right now our greatest sorrow is over the loss of two of our horses.”
Lenamore Stables is well used by the equestrian fraternity, many of whom took time to call with the Graham family to offer their support.
Among them was international showjumping adjudicator
Gerry McCloskey. He said: “Geraldine and her family are an important part of the fabric of the equestrian and tourism sectors of the North West and have been so for a lifetime.
“So many horses have been sold from these stables including a lot of international championship winners.
“It is very distressing for the family to have lost two great international horses but thankfully five were able to be saved which have been checked out by a vet and they are fine.
“I regularly come to these stables to ride horses and know the Graham family a lifetime, so I know that despite the devastation they are feeling now, they will get back to business as soon
as possible.” Firefighters from Derry were quickly at the scene after the alarm was raised.
They worked alongside their counterparts from Co Donegal to bring the blaze at the stable and a nearby large horse transporter under control to prevent it spreading to two other blocks.
Fire Service Western Area Commander Jonathan Tate said it was a difficult blaze to deal with.
He said: “Four firefighters wearing breathing apparatus extinguished the fire and prevented it from spreading to adjacent stables.
“However, significant damage was caused to one stable.
“Two horses died at the scene prior to the arrival of fire crews.
A woman in her 20s was treated at the scene by ambulance personnel for smoke inhalation and minor burns. She was taken to hospital by ambulance.
“This was a difficult fire to extinguish because we were trying to get into the stables where two of the horses were trapped but unfortunately when firefighters reached these animals they were deceased.
“It is a rare occasion that we would have to rescue horses from a stable that is on fire and I offer my condolences to the family who own the stables on the loss of these animals.
“The scene was handed over to Donegal Fire Service and An Garda Siochana for further investigation.”