This article is from page 13 of the 2006-03-21 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 13 JPG
A 30-YEAR-OLD man was arrested in connection with an arson attack on a house near Kilkee in the early hours of Sunday.
A vacant house at Lisdeen, Kilkee, was set alight at around 2am. Substantial damage was caused to the interior of the house, causing damage worth several thousand euro.
A man from west Clare was arrested a short time later. He was detained at Kilrush Garda Station, before being released without charge. A file is being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.
There was no-one in the house at the time. One unit of Kilkee fire brigade attended the scene. It took firefighters almost two hours to quench the blaze.
Gardaí say they are not looking for anyone else in relation to the incident.
“The house was completely destroyed by smoke inside and we are satisfied it was set on fire maliciously,” said a Garda spokesperson.
“The man we arrested is from the area and is known to gardaí,” added the spokesperson.
Gardaí believe that diesel was used to light the premises.
Separately, gardaí are investigating a fire that caused extensive damage to a forest in Lissycasey on Sunday.
The fire broke out at lunchtime and raged for several hours, before being brought under control at around 8pm. Four units of the fire brigade and a water tanker fought the blaze throughout the evening.
Gardaí are appealing for members of the public who may have seen any suspicious activity in the area on Sunday to contact them.