Ireland

Four arrested over fire at hotel set to house asylum seekers

The blaze occurred in Rosscahill, Co Galway, in December.

The fire occurred in December
The fire occurred in December (Brian Lawless/PA)

Four people have been arrested in relation to a fire at a disused hotel in Co Galway last December.

The building in Rosscahill had been earmarked for housing 70 asylum seekers.

Two men, aged in their 40s and 50s, have been arrested for alleged offences contrary to the Criminal Damage Act 1991 and are being detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984.

Two women, also in their 40s and 50s, have been arrested for alleged offences contrary to the Offences Against the State (Amendment) Act 1998 and are being detained under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act 1939.

They are all being held at a Garda station in the north western region.

They were arrested on Thursday morning as part of an operation by gardai attached to Galway divisional crime functional area and members from the National Bureau of Crime Investigation.