Gardaí must wait to investigate cathedral blaze

Gardaí have said it could be some days until they are able to carry out a technical examination at the scene of a fire at St Mel's Cathedral in Longford.

The building must be deemed safe to enter by structural engineers before the inquiry gets underway.

It is still unclear whether or not the blaze, which gutted the cathedral on Christmas Day, is being treated as suspicious.

An estimated €2m worth of damage was caused by the blaze which took fire crews twelve hours to tackle.

It is still hoped that the external walls and the dome of the cathedral can be saved.