Posted on 06/30/2026 8:41:53 PM PDT by Red Badger
A historic former Catholic convent near the burial place of Saint Patrick in Northern Ireland was devastated by a deliberate fire Sunday night, forcing more than 70 firefighters into an overnight battle to save the adjacent parish church.
The blaze, according to a report from Life Site News, broke out at the former Convent of Mercy in Downpatrick, County Down, at around 7 p.m. on June 28. By the time emergency crews arrived, the building was already engulfed in a well-developed fire.
The Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service said the cause is believed to have been deliberate. No injuries were reported, but the damage to one of Downpatrick’s most recognizable Catholic landmarks was severe.
Former convent destroyed as over 60 firefighters battle huge blaze in Downpatrick
📽️@Kscott_94 https://t.co/67qD9hekjp pic.twitter.com/yMoymA86OD
— Belfast Telegraph (@BelTel) June 28, 2026
At the height of the emergency, roughly 70 firefighters were on the scene. Ten appliances responded, backed by aerial ladder units, a command support unit and a water tanker.
Crews used breathing apparatus, firefighting jets and aerial ladder jets to bring the inferno under control. Their most urgent task was not only to contain the fire, but to prevent it from reaching St Patrick’s Church.
The former convent was attached to the church, immediately raising fears that the flames could spread to one of the town’s most important Catholic sites. Firefighters worked through the night to stop that from happening.
The Downpatrick Family of Parishes expressed relief that St Patrick’s Church had been saved. The parish said the fire had been prevented from reaching the church by the “heroism and skill” of the Fire Service.
Yes they do. How else do you explain the huge disparity in the number of church fires in Western Europe vs Eastern Europe? Look at the demographics of each region. You'll notice a striking difference.
You are kidding, right? There were 102 church fires in Europe in the last five years, and you think it is all liberals deciding to burn down churches instead of the recently arrived Muslim hordes?
All the church fires in Canada are the work of crazy white lefties.
That is a more plausible explanation for Canada, but not for Europe.
I saw that. Hopefully the Japanese will deal with them harshly.
Prods
I bet you this is a tit-for-tat response to this: “Irish police probe suspected arson attack on mosque in Dublin” (story from YESTERDAY).
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