Central Hotel Fire, Bundoran
Encyclopedia
The Central Hotel Fire, Bundoran was a fire that took place at a popular family owned hotel in the heart of the seaside resort of Bundoran
, Co. Donegal in the northwest of Ireland
. On 8th August 1980
, a fire broke out killing ten people, including both locals and holiday makers. The tragedy
featured as part of the RTÉ
television series Disasters in summer 2007.
Initially, the town’s own fire brigade was dispatched, and was to be aided by other units from across the northwest including Ballyshannon
, Donegal Town, Letterkenny
and Manorhamilton. As panic spread throughout the town, many locals and holiday makers rushed to the hotel in an effort to try and rescue some of those who had been trapped inside, with people jumping from the upper floors of the building into blankets held by those below.
The fire spread rapidly and burned so intensely that cars that had been parked on the street outside it burst into flames. Ambulances were sent from Ballyshannon and Sligo
to bring the many injured to hospital; while the fire brigade fought the blaze throughout the night.
forensic experts launched an investigation into the blaze, as the remains of the hotel smouldered for several days afterwards. The fire had killed five adults and five children, including the entire Brennan family from Naas
, Co. Kildare, while the body of a Belfast
baby, Nicola Lamont, was never found in the rubble.
Despite calls from the victims' families and Dáil
debates for a public enquiry into the circumstances surrounding the fire, similar to that held after the Stardust fire several months later, none was ever held. Calls for an investigation were made again in 2002, when the Fine Gael
Senator
Jim Higgins called for the Garda handling of the fire to be investigated as part of the Morris Tribunal
, an enquiry into police corruption in County Donegal. Higgins said that the fire warranted inclusion in the tribunal's work as claims had been made by the owner of the hotel that Gardaí had tampered with the evidence, however the terms of reference were not extended to include the fire.
The programme focused mainly on the Kinsella family from Artane
in Dublin who lost two of their children in the fire, and on the unfortunate nature of their deaths. It was the family’s first visit to the seaside town, and due to a mix up with bookings the family was split up with the two parents sleeping in separate rooms to their four young children.
The programme was criticised by Cllr Sean McEniff, a member of the town council, who claimed that it would reopen old wounds for the families involved and that it was better left in the past.
in Dublin. The Bundoran fire has never been commemorated physically, although in the aftermath of the airing of the RTÉ programme the town council voted in favour of a memorial plaque to the ten victims. There was a reluctance to place a plaque on the site of the fire from both councillors and members of the new hotel’s board.
The site of the Central Hotel lay vacant for several years, but is now occupied by the Grand Central Hotel and Apartments.
However, on Sunday 8th August 2010, a memorial to those who died in the hotel fire was unveiled in the town, exactly 30 years after the tragedy. Families and relatives of the victims attended prayer services in two churches and an unveiling of the memorial seat with the names of the victims inscribed on it.
Bundoran
Bundoran is a town in County Donegal, part of the Province of Ulster in the north of Ireland. The town is located on the N15 road near Ballyshannon, 3 hours drive from Dublin and around two and a quarter hours drive from Belfast...
, Co. Donegal in the northwest of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. On 8th August 1980
1980 in Ireland
-Events:* January 9 - Charles Haughey addresses the nation by television on the matter of its worsening finances.* March 25 - CIÉs first bus lane comes into operation on Parliament Street in Dublin....
, a fire broke out killing ten people, including both locals and holiday makers. The tragedy
Tragedy (event)
A tragedy is an event in which one or more losses, usually of human life, occurs that is viewed as mournful. Such an event is said to be tragic....
featured as part of the RTÉ
RTE
RTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey...
television series Disasters in summer 2007.
The blaze
Just after midnight on Friday 8th August 1980, a call was made to the emergency services after a fire had been discovered in a small corridor to the back of the main bar, and going towards the main stair case used by the hotel’s guests. The fire broke out at the height of the summer season, with sixty guests, mainly couples and families, booked in on the night; while a function was also taking place in the main dance hall of the hotel.Initially, the town’s own fire brigade was dispatched, and was to be aided by other units from across the northwest including Ballyshannon
Ballyshannon
Ballyshannon is a town in County Donegal, Ireland. It is located where the N3 and N15 cross the River Erne, and claims to be the oldest town in Ireland.-Location:...
, Donegal Town, Letterkenny
Letterkenny
Letterkenny , with a population of 17,568, is the largest town in County Donegal, part of the Province of Ulster in Ireland. The town is located on the River Swilly...
and Manorhamilton. As panic spread throughout the town, many locals and holiday makers rushed to the hotel in an effort to try and rescue some of those who had been trapped inside, with people jumping from the upper floors of the building into blankets held by those below.
The fire spread rapidly and burned so intensely that cars that had been parked on the street outside it burst into flames. Ambulances were sent from Ballyshannon and Sligo
Sligo
Sligo is the county town of County Sligo in Ireland. The town is a borough and has a charter and a town mayor. It is sometimes referred to as a city, and sometimes as a town, and is the second largest urban area in Connacht...
to bring the many injured to hospital; while the fire brigade fought the blaze throughout the night.
Aftermath
The fire brigade and GardaGarda
Garda may refer to:* An Garda Síochána, the national police of the Republic of Ireland* Lake Garda, a lake in northern Italy.* Garda , a commune on the shores of the Italian Lake Garda in the province of Verona....
forensic experts launched an investigation into the blaze, as the remains of the hotel smouldered for several days afterwards. The fire had killed five adults and five children, including the entire Brennan family from Naas
Naas
Naas is the county town of County Kildare in Ireland. With a population of just over twenty thousand, it is also the largest town in the county. Naas is a major commuter suburb, with many people residing there and working in Dublin...
, Co. Kildare, while the body of a Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
baby, Nicola Lamont, was never found in the rubble.
Despite calls from the victims' families and Dáil
Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann is the lower house, but principal chamber, of the Oireachtas , which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann . It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote...
debates for a public enquiry into the circumstances surrounding the fire, similar to that held after the Stardust fire several months later, none was ever held. Calls for an investigation were made again in 2002, when the Fine Gael
Fine Gael
Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...
Senator
Seanad Éireann
Seanad Éireann is the upper house of the Oireachtas , which also comprises the President of Ireland and Dáil Éireann . It is commonly called the Seanad or Senate and its members Senators or Seanadóirí . Unlike Dáil Éireann, it is not directly elected but consists of a mixture of members chosen by...
Jim Higgins called for the Garda handling of the fire to be investigated as part of the Morris Tribunal
Morris Tribunal
The Morris Tribunal is a Public Inquiry to address allegations of the 1990s and early 2000s against the Garda Síochána , the national police force of the Republic of Ireland...
, an enquiry into police corruption in County Donegal. Higgins said that the fire warranted inclusion in the tribunal's work as claims had been made by the owner of the hotel that Gardaí had tampered with the evidence, however the terms of reference were not extended to include the fire.
RTÉ programme
In 2007, RTÉ’s Disaster series investigated the circumstances surrounding the fire. It put forward extracts from the original investigation which stated that it was an electrical fault that had caused the blaze, and stories surrounding the fire of the poor upkeep of the hotel, including allegations that coins had been used rather than fuses.The programme focused mainly on the Kinsella family from Artane
Artane, Dublin
Artane, sometimes spelled Artaine , historically Tartaine is a Northside suburb of Dublin, Ireland. Neighbouring districts include Coolock, Beaumont, Killester, Raheny and Clontarf; to the south is a small locality, Harmonstown, straddling the Raheny-Artane border.-History:Artaine, now usually...
in Dublin who lost two of their children in the fire, and on the unfortunate nature of their deaths. It was the family’s first visit to the seaside town, and due to a mix up with bookings the family was split up with the two parents sleeping in separate rooms to their four young children.
The programme was criticised by Cllr Sean McEniff, a member of the town council, who claimed that it would reopen old wounds for the families involved and that it was better left in the past.
Remembrance
At the time of the tragedy, it was one of the worst fires in Irish history up to that point, but the following St Valentine’s Day 14 February 1981, 48 people died in a fire at the Stardust club in ArtaneArtane, Dublin
Artane, sometimes spelled Artaine , historically Tartaine is a Northside suburb of Dublin, Ireland. Neighbouring districts include Coolock, Beaumont, Killester, Raheny and Clontarf; to the south is a small locality, Harmonstown, straddling the Raheny-Artane border.-History:Artaine, now usually...
in Dublin. The Bundoran fire has never been commemorated physically, although in the aftermath of the airing of the RTÉ programme the town council voted in favour of a memorial plaque to the ten victims. There was a reluctance to place a plaque on the site of the fire from both councillors and members of the new hotel’s board.
The site of the Central Hotel lay vacant for several years, but is now occupied by the Grand Central Hotel and Apartments.
However, on Sunday 8th August 2010, a memorial to those who died in the hotel fire was unveiled in the town, exactly 30 years after the tragedy. Families and relatives of the victims attended prayer services in two churches and an unveiling of the memorial seat with the names of the victims inscribed on it.
Victims
The ten people who died were:- James, Anne, Deirdre and John Brennan from Naas, Co. Kildare
- Sadie Dowdican from TullaghanTullaghanTullaghan is a village in County Leitrim, Ireland. Due to extensive property development, fueled by tax breaks, it has now mushroomed in size. The village had a population of 520 in 2002 and had grown to 764 by 2006....
, Co. Leitrim - Mary Gallagher from Carrick, Co. Donegal
- Adrienne and James Kinsella from Artane, Co. Dublin
- Nicola Lamont from Belfast, Co. Antrim
- George Lazenby from MalahideMalahideMalahide is a coastal suburban town, near Dublin city, located in the administrative county of Fingal, within the traditional County Dublin, Ireland. It has a village-like centre and extensive residential areas to the south, west and northwest.-Name:...
, Co. Dublin