Cork man arrested after arson attack on Irish bar in Cyprus

Irish bar Paddi Longs was almost completely gutted.

An Irish man has been arrested in Cyprus following a suspected arson attack that gutted an Irish pub.

The 41-year-old, who is originally from near Cork City, was arrested in the Alsancak area of the island following the incident in the Kyrenia district of North Cyprus last Monday night.

The popular Irish bar, Paddi Longs, on Dumlupınar Street in Alsancak, which claims to be the only Irish bar in northern Cyprus, was almost completely gutted in the incident.

The bar was closed when the alarm was raised just after midnight on Monday.

Firefighters rushed to the scene and fought the blaze but the building suffered extensive damage, estimated at around €275,000.

Extensive damage

Photographs posted on social media show the scale of the damage, with extensive damage to its interior and to its outdoor seating area.

Cypriot police arrested a suspect soon afterwards on suspicion of arson.

A car registered in the suspect’s name was found abandoned close to the scene.

The Irish man is understood has been living with a relative in Cyprus for about a year, according to local media reports.

The building suffered extensive damage, estimated at about €275,000.

Owners heartbroken

Meanwhile, the owners of the bar, Sally Knights and Karl Long, said they are heartbroken.

They had only just completed a major renovation and reopened the venue in time for the St Patrick’s festivities when the incident occurred.

Ms Knights said she was too upset and distraught to comment publicly while they make arrangements to try and salvage their business.

In a post on Facebook, the couple appealed for volunteers to help them with the clean-up of the site this weekend.

“We actually don’t know where to start. We thank everyone for their support during this heartbreaking time,” they said.

This article was edited on April 11, 2022