CHURCH authorities were last night counting the cost of damage caused
by fire to one of the country's most famed cathedrals, its second blaze
in four years.
Damage to St Mary's Cathedral in Killarney, Co
Kerry, could rise to more than €100,000 after what is believed to be an
electrical fire broke out in the sacristy yesterday morning.
A garda
forensic unit is investigating the scene.
Shocked parishioners
who turned up for 10.30am Mass yesterday looked on in horror as smoke
rose from the historic building. Five units of the fire brigade from
Killarney, Tralee and Killorglin attended the blaze.
"The fire was
confined to the sacristy but there was some smoke damage to the main
building," said Kerry senior assistant fire officer, Eoin O'Donnell.
Curate
Fr Kevin McNamara said the situation could have been a lot worse if it
hadn't been for the quick action of sacristan Tadhg Fleming.
"Mr
Fleming opened the church at 8am and when he returned at 9.30am to
prepare for Mass he was pushed back by the volume of smoke," Fr McNamara
told the Irish Independent.
"The position could have been a lot worse and we were lucky with the time it occurred."
A
major blaze gutted the cathedral in 2006, causing more than €500,000
worth of damage.
The cathedral -- designed by the famous Gothic revival
architect Augustus Pugin -- had celebrated its 150th anniversary the
previous year.
An extensive restoration project was carried out in the
1970s by the then Bishop of Kerry, Eamon Casey.
Mayor of Killarney
Donal O'Grady said the cathedral was the pride of the town.
"We think
the world of the cathedral and we're just thankful that the alarm was
raised so quickly," he said.
SIC: II/IE