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Four detained in Buncrana arson
probe
25.08.11
FOUR men are being
held today in connection with a spate of arson attacks
in south Inishowen. A fifth male, a 17 year old, was
released from custody last night. The four are
currently being detained at Buncrana and Letterkenny
Garda Stations.
The arrests come following a number of malicious
fires in the last two weeks that have left
residents, particularly in rural areas, living in
fear.
It also emerged this week that scores of Inishowen
residents are protecting their properties with
shotguns as the latest attack threatened the life of
an elderly woman living alone.
The petrol bomb attack on the 75-year-old Buncrana
grandmother’s home in the early hours of yesterday
came just days after a similar attack destroyed the
inside of Fahan health centre seven miles away.
The Inishowen Independent learned yesterday that
many locals, who own licensed guns, are keeping
night-time vigils at their rural, isolated
properties.
In the latest attack, a woman was lucky to escape
with her life when two sheds and a family car at the
back of her home at Hilltown, Cockhill, were set
ablaze just after 3am on Wednesday.
The fire quickly spread out of control and the
grandmother, who recently underwent hip surgery, was
evacuated along with a mother and three young
children from a house next door before the local
fire brigade arrived on the scene. |
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Patrick Lynch from Inch surveys the
damage caused by an arson attack at the local
medical centre in Tooban. |
An arson attack at
Fahan health centre in the early hours of Saturday
has led to hundreds of sick patients now being
forced to travel to Buncrana for medical attention.
The blaze, discovered by a nearby resident, caused
more than €20,000 worth of damage and there are now
fears for the long-term future of the centre with
the HSE short of funds to repair it.
Local county councillor John Ryan said he feared
loss of life. “There is a growing sense of anger
among many in the community and there are a number
of farmers who are staying up at night with firearms
to protect their property,” he said. Anyone with
information on the fires is asked to contact Buncrana Station
on 074 9320540. |
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