Investigation into fire which threatened former convent and school in West Cork

Gardaí confirmed that they are investigating “an incident of criminal damage by fire” following Saturday’s blaze. Picture: Dan Linehan

A garda investigation is underway into the cause of a fire which threatened a former convent, chapel and secondary school in West Cork.

There are suspicions locally that the blaze at the former Daughters of Charity convent building in Dunmanway on Saturday was started maliciously given the similarities to another fire behind a building nearby last year.