GARDAI IN Enniscorthy are still appealing for information from the public following a fire at a house in Friary Place in the early hours of last Tuesday morning. The house, which was left gutted following the incident, was also the target of criminals on two previous occassions in recent months, one of which saw two shotgun rounds fired into the front door and the other which saw a “fake” pipe bomb thrown through the window of the house.

Gardaí were alerted to the incident at around 2 a.m. on Tuesday morning and immediately helped to cordon off the scene along with fire services who desperately tried to tackle the blaze. The decision was then taken to evacuate a number of neighbouring houses in Friary place, both for the safety of the occupants and to allow the fire services easier access to the back of the house that was on fire.

When gardaí entered one of the neighbouring properties, they coincidentally discovered a massive haul of illegal cigarettes and tobacco which had been locked in a room. The cigarettes, believed to hold a value of around €21,000, were immediately seized and the occupant of the house was briefly questioned.

“A quantity of cigarettes was seized from a neighbouring house,” a Garda spokesman said. “Nobody has been charged as of yet, but investigations are ongoing.”

Fire services eventually managed to extinguish the blaze, however, the property was left gutted by the fire, which gardaí believe may have been started deliberately. In line with operational procedure, gardaí refused to comment on how the fire started, however they are appealing for any witnesses to come forward to them at Enniscorthy Garda Station or call the Garda Confidential line on 1800 666 111 in complete confidence.

“Obviously we would have some major concerns in relation to this incident and previous incidents in this area,” a spokesman said. “We would urge anyone who may have seen anything suspicious to contact us or call the Garda Confidential line.”

The Friary Place fire put significant pressure on the Wexford Fire Service who were already battling a massive blaze at the old Boro Hill Equestrian Centre in Clonroche. The garda spokesman said that while they are not aware of any link between the incidents, they are investigating all avenues and refused to rule it out.

House in Friary Place, Enniscorthy which was destroyed by fire early on Tuesday morning. Pic: John Walsh