Newly opened Waterford garden centre and café destroyed in suspected arson attack

A couple's newly opened garden centre and café in County Waterford has been destroyed in what is believed to be a deliberate arson attack, just weeks after they finally opened the doors.

A couple's newly opened garden centre and café in Co Waterford has been destroyed in what is believed to be a deliberate arson attack, just weeks after they finally opened the doors.

Celtic Bull Garden Centre & Farmers Shop, in Stradbally, Co Waterford, was set alight on September 20, according to Aleksandra Krynicka, who runs the business with her partner Paul. 

They have set up an online  fundraiser to get the place back up and running.

According to the couple, the fire was started with petrol and oil poured over the walls and items inside the premises, and empty containers were found at the scene.

The damage to the site is "devastating", with the entire inside of the building covered in thick black soot and smoke damage.

A large amount of stock, furniture and equipment has been destroyed or is so badly contaminated that it cannot be saved, the fundraiser says. Some of the products destroyed were being sold on commission for local makers and small businesses.

"This means we are not only dealing with the loss of our own stock," the post reads, "but also the loss of products that belonged to other people who trusted us with their work."

Before they can reopen, the premises will require extensive cleaning and restoration.

"We had only just opened our doors and were so excited about what the future could bring. To have it taken away from us like this is incredibly difficult to put into words. But we don't want to give up. We want to clean it, rebuild it and open our doors again."

When asked about the incident, gardaí said in a statement: "Gardaí are investigating an incident of criminal damage by fire at a premises in Stradbally, Co Waterford, that’s understood to have occurred sometime between Saturday evening, September 19 and the following morning, Sunday, September 20 2026.

"Investigations are ongoing at this time."