Fire at Enniscorthy ‘ghost estate’
ENNISCORTHY Fire Service were forced to leap into action on Friday, after receiving a call that a blaze had started at an Enniscorthy ‘ghost estate’.
While some of the houses are occupied in Pairc na Bearna, opposite Vinegar Hill, a whole section of the estate remained unfinished, abandoned and open to the elements.
When they arrived at the scene shortly after 5 p.m., Enniscorthy Fire Service were greeted with a fire that had been started upstairs in one of the abandoned houses. The blaze had gotten into the roof of one of the abandoned homes and had spread into the roof of the house next door as well - a dwelling which is also vacant.
There have reportedly been several problems with the abandoned houses over the past year. While only one house in the phase closest to the road is occupied, issues around rodents, illegal dumping and anti-social behaviour have been reported, as well as the unfinished estate proving a complete eyesore to visitors to one of the most historic sites in the South East and the jewel in Enniscorthy’s tourism crown - Vinegar Hill.
It is believed that the fire may have been started, either for warmth or as an act of vandalism, by a group who were drinking in one of the empty houses, however, they had fled the scene by the time the fire service arrived. The crew were able to bring the blaze under control quickly, however, it will have proven a further setback for the already unfinished homes.
It is believed that the initial developer Charles Kavanagh had intended to resume work on the houses over the coming weeks, following a lengthy period of inaction, but it is unclear at this time what impact, if any, the blaze will have had on these plans.