A FIRE at the disused Kill Equestrian Centre in Co Kildare last Sunday night is still under investigation by the Gardaí.

However, The Irish Times newspaper reports that Garda sources say a strong line of inquiry is that the fire was started deliberately.

The facility, which has not been in use for equestrian events for over 10 years, was at the centre of a controversy last week when local people discovered the site was the subject of a proposal to convert it into an accommodation centre for Ukrainian refugees.

The fire happened in a shed beside the main building of the equestrian centre, which contained wooden poles. Five units of the Kildare Fire Brigade brought the fire under control throughout Sunday night and there were no reports of any injuries at the scene.

Gardaí told The Irish Field on Thursday evening that “investigations are still ongoing”.

Protest

Up to 200 locals and public representatives gathered for a meeting at Kill GAA last Friday night to discuss the proposal to temporarily house approximately 350 Ukrainians at the centre. The meeting was chaired by the Mayor of Kildare and local councillor Fintan Brett. “It’s an agricultural barn, without lights, without ventilation, and as far as I know there’s no sewerage on the site, and it’s a mile outside the village,” said Brett.

On Sunday, a protest was held outside the centre and passed off without incident, before the fire later broke out at around 8pm.

An email from the office of the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth of Ireland, Roderic O’Gorman, was read out on KFM Radio. It stated: “Discussions are ongoing at this stage between the department and the provider about the potential use of the Kill Equestrian Centre to house Ukrainian beneficiaries of temporary protection which, should the contract be agreed, will be compromised of families, including mothers, fathers and children and single females.

“The department engages external inspection companies to make sure independent inspections are carried out at all properties to be used by Ukrainians, to ensure fire safety, general health and safety, sanitary facilities, food service security and the general condition of the building is up to the standard required. No person can be placed in the accommodation until all inspections are carried out.”

Kill Equestrian Centre was established in 1997 by Fintan Flannelly and was one of Ireland’s premier show venues. It faced major flooding in 2011 and following a lengthy battle with the insurance company, the business collapsed. It was sold in 2017 to property developers who then applied for planning permission to demolish the buildings but were refused in 2018.

Kildare County Council said this was a likely prelude to an application for residential development which would go against the county development plan.