Fire leaves residents
without water
MANY homes and businesses were left without water on
Sunday after thousands of gallons were drained from
Moville's local mains by fire-fighters battling the
huge fire that gutted The Waterfront bar and
restaurant.
Homes in the town centre, its immediate environs and
as far away as Ballybrack, Greencastle, encountered
problems with their supply. Derry fire service
district commander Willie Lynch said the
fire-fighters ran low on water from the mains about
an hour-and-a-half into the operation.
"We needed very large volumes of water to try and
get the fire under control. Essentially we were
looking for far more water, and water pressure, than
the mains could provide."
Mr Lynch said it was fortunate the burning building
was just metres from Lough Foyle.
"We got a couple of portable pumps down to the lough
and starting pumping from the Foyle. This helped
things significantly," he said. Crews continued
pumping water from the sea intensively until around
7am when the worst of the raging flames were
contained. Meanwhile, Mr Lynch praised the
co-operation and professionalism of the cross-border
fire-fighting teams on duty that night.
"I would particularly like to pay tribute to the
fire-fighters from Donegal. They showed great skill
and professionalism. "Fire crews have co-operated on
a cross border basis for many years and when a fire
like this happens it just shows you how those good
relations pay off." Meanwhile, Moville resident
Senator Cecilia Keaveney expressed her sadness at
the loss of the popular local eatery. She said the
fire had also elicited "an emotional response" from
locals.
"Those who owned and worked in The Waterfront are
obviously the people directly affected financially
by this fire. There is a huge sympathy for them and
their personal loss. However, there is also a
genuine emotional gap for those who look on at the
charred ruins,” said Senator Keaveney.
"Moville gained significantly from the investment
that was made in The Waterfront and other premises
in recent years. The loss of that investment has
left the physical gap but also the reality of the
jobs that have gone alongside it. We all hope that
there will be a way back for all involved," said
Senator Keaveney, who paid tribute to the
fire-fighters who courageously fought Sunday's
blaze. Moville parish priest Fr Paddy O’Kane also
led prayers for the owners and staff of The
Waterfront at Sunday morning Mass. |
