Gardaí rule out foul play over fire that gutted Donegal church as nearly €120,000 raised for rebuilding effort
The Teach Pobail Mhuire in Doirí Beaga, a Catholic church in the Diocese of Raphoe, was gutted in the fire on Easter Monday, April 21.
Emergency services were alerted to the fire shortly after 4am and a number of properties in the area were evacuated.
There were no injuries.
An investigation into the cause of the fire was launched and a garda spokesperson has now confirmed that foul play is not suspected.
"Following initial assessments and a technical examination, foul play has been ruled out at this time,' they said.
Following the fire, Paróiste Ghaoth Dobhair said it will rebuild the church and fundraising efforts were launched to help cover the costs of the rebuild.
A spokesperson for the parish said: "This is a deeply tragic event that strikes at the heart of our community. Our beautiful Church was not only a place of worship, but also a centre of light, life and love, of support, unity and hope for many.
"We are a resilient community and will stand together to support one another in this moment of deep grief and sorrow.
"We will rebuild our Church with a renewed hope for a brighter future.'
A GoFundMe Page has been set up by the community and has raised over €118,000.
On Saturday night, a host of stars including Daniel O'Donnell took to the stage for a fundraising concert to help raise funds to rebuild the church.
Séipéal Mhuire has served the parish since 1972.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Daily Mirror
5 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Ballymena riots: Thousands raised after Filipino mechanic's home targeted
Thousands have been raised after a Filipino mechanic's home was targeted in the Ballymena riots. Kevin Rous, a mechanic at the nearby Wrightbus Factory, had his car destroyed and Cullybackey home damaged in an arson attack during violent disorder in Ballymena on Monday night. He had been working at the time of the attack in the family, with his family being left terrified during the ordeal. On Tuesday evening during further disorder in Ballymena, some Filipino residents posted their country's flag on their doors in the hopes of not being targeted by racist attacks. Following the attack on Kevin's home, a fundraiser has been set up by Zuzanna Dziwulska in the hopes of supporting the mechanic and helping him to get back on his feet. A post on GoFundMe read: 'We all know about the incidents which have been ongoing in Ballymena. This fundraiser has no political intent. 'I hope as residents of Ballymena/Cullybackey we can agree innocent people should not be punished by the actions of others. 'Therefore I am hoping to fundraise a small amount of money and get in contact with Kevin Rous in Cullybackey who has had his family unfortunately hit by an attack. 'Everyone should feel safe in Ballymena and hopefully we can help get this man's life back on track. '24 hours in we have gone way over target, I have managed to get in contact with Kev and his family and am now going through the process of getting money to them. 'I have also been reached by the wider Filipino community so it would be great if we could also give others affected a helping hand'. So far the GoFundMe has raised £3,860 (€4,553) of the £5,500 (€6,488) target. To donate to the fundraiser, head here.
The Irish Sun
17 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Married teacher, 43, who had sex with student, 17, after ‘neglect' by husband breaks silence as she's jailed for 3 years
A MARRIED Catholic school teacher w ho had sex with a teenage student has broken her silence as she was sentenced to three years behind bars. Emily Nutley had pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual battery over her relationship with a 17-year-old student at St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati. Advertisement 2 Emily Nutley, 43, was sentenced to serve three years behind bars on Tuesday Credit: WLWT 2 She addressed the crimes while at Hamilton County Common Pleas Court Credit: WLWT The 43-year-old was She addressed the crimes while at Hamilton County Common Pleas Court on Tuesday. The mother-of-three said: "There is no excuse for what I did. "I crossed a line that should never have been crossed. Advertisement read more in world news "I think every day about the impact of my actions. "I've lost my husband, my home, my friends. I've caused harm and embarrassment to my children." Nutley further told Judge Jennifer Branch she is now "engaging with professionals who will help me understand [my] choices". She previously claimed that her husband's "neglect" drove her to the horrifying abuse. Advertisement Most read in The US Sun "I am not asking for forgiveness because I have not earned it," she added. The abusive sexual encounters are reported to have taken place between November to December 2023, the MailOnline has reported. Evil mum jailed for SELLING daughter, 6, 'to healer who wanted eyes & skin' Nutley's husband filed for divorce following her arrest. The judge sentenced her to three years behind bars, adding that she was hoping to hear more of an apology. Advertisement "I was looking for you to say that you acknowledge the harm that you caused this young man," the judge said. "You pretty much ruined the rest of his high school career. "I didn't see it. I didn't hear it." The teen also reflected on the abuse in a letter read out in court. Advertisement He said it had "altered my high school experience and my life". "When the abuse started, I didn't know I was being taken advantage of," the teen added. "She told me she would kill herself if I ended it. "Even at sporting events, people yell her name at me." Advertisement He further said it had "left me confused, lacking self worth and depressed". "I can't get away from this. I have a hard time trusting people, especially authority figures."
The Irish Sun
a day ago
- The Irish Sun
Hilarious moment bumbling cops struggle to break down door as mocking neighbours shout ‘go on… knock it!'
POLICE officers were ridiculed by onlookers as they feebly attempted to break down a door. Despite multiple efforts, the officers appeared to be unable to break down a Advertisement 3 An onlooker filmed the cops trying to break the door down Credit: Brad Jones 3 Social media users mocked the cops online Credit: Brad Jones Bobbies from Onlookers couldn't hide their amusement at the officers' inability to One chuckling onlooker teased them, taunting: "Bit Harder!" "Go on, hit it!" Advertisement Read more News They then mocked the fumbling officers with a killer line: "Call yourself a police force? "There's no force in ya!" Two officers can be seen repeatedly attempting to barge down the door. Even while using a handheld Advertisement Most read in The Sun Two other visible cops can be seen standing idly by as their colleagues floundered at the The door does appear to have suffered some damage, as there is a significant Yet it remained upright and intact. Many seeing the social media video online were quick to mock the officers' Advertisement One man commented: "They couldn't break into an Easter egg." Another said they, "Couldn't open an advent calendar door." One comment even appears onscreen at the end of the video saying: "Rumour has it they're still trying." Some people saw a darker side to the video, believing it showed a decline in Advertisement "Police are losing respect, it's what it's come to. So sad," commented one viewer. A different TikTok user said: "It's a shame because I have "But currently the state of this country is a joke. In a twist, one user, claiming to be a former Advertisement He said: "Use the other end of hooligan bar i.e. the wedge knocked into the "Then pull on the bar and the door (usually) opens." 3 The door suffered a number of dents but was resisting their efforts Credit: Brad Jones
