Historic clubhouse destroyed in blaze
Probe into fire at 117yr-old golf building
THIS was the devastating scene after a historic golf clubhouse went up in flames.
Kenmare Golf Club in Co Kerry was all but destroyed when an early morning fire ripped through it yesterday.
Emergency crews were quickly on the scene and personnel remained there for several hours but the blaze gutted the building, wrecking much of the roof as well as internal walls and furnishings.
The fire service were alerted at 4.30am and several units from Killarney, Sneem and Kenmare attended.
Water tankers were also brought in to help contain the blaze.
A post by the Kenmare Golf
Club on social media expressed
“shock” at the large fire and gratitude to the fire service. Local
Cllr O’connor-scarteen councillor Patrick O’connor-scarteen said: “People are shocked by this. It is at the heart of the town.”
The 117-year-old timber-framed building was empty and closed at the time of the fire.
The clubhouse was originally a cricket pavilion in use in the Punjab, India, and was not installed in Kenmare until the 1930s.
It has been the centre of much social activity in the area ever since.
Each year it holds a worldfamous brothers tournament, as well in more recent times a sisters tournament in which siblings play together on teams.
Garda forensics assisted by fire officers were at the scene yesterday and are now carrying out an investigation into what caused
the blaze.
PATRICK O’CONNORSCARTEEN YESTERDAY
10 hours is how long it took fire crews to extinguish the blaze in Co Clare
Fire crews at scene in Co Clare