AN HISTORIC church attached to the former St David's industrial school and previously used by the Artane Band has been gutted in a fire local residents claim was started deliberately.
Six tenders of Dublin Fire Brigade were called to the scene after a call was received at 6.38 pm yesterday.
A pall of smoke could be seen from Dublin city centre more than three miles away as fire crews battled the blaze. The gable end was destroyed and the remainder of the building may be knocked down. The 450-pupil school remains closed today because of the potential danger to staff and students.
The former church was used for practice by the Artane School of Music, formerly the Artane Boys band, before its new hall was built and contained "furniture, old band uniforms and some photographs", according to Eamonn Free, a local resident and member of the band's fundraising committee.
"A piece of history has gone up in smoke," said Colm Folan, also on the fundraising committee.
Minister of State for Education Seán Haughey, TD for the area said it was a shame to see such an historic building destroyed by fire.
He is expected to intervene in a dispute between local residents and school authorities over access to the grounds. Mr Haughey who visited the scene last night said that if there were security issues he would facilitate a meeting between residents and the board of management to address this.
One resident, Jane Byrne, said the "gates of the school are left open practically 24 hours a day since they built the all-weather pitch, which the Dublin team practice on". She was "absolutely convinced" the fire was started deliberately because of the access and residents were terrified children would be knocked down because of the speed of drivers accessing the complex. Another resident Philip May said: "I guarantee you the fire was started deliberately". Mr May said it had been a quiet estate until the pitch had been built, but there had been a major anti-social element since then.
School principal Pádraig Kavanagh, however, rejected the complaints and said Parnell club had been playing on the school grounds for 20 years. An application has been made for retention permission for the pitch.
