Lenamore Stables thanks public for support after devastating fire

Two horses died and a woman was taken to hospital following a fire at the Lenamore Stables in Muff. The blaze broke out shortly before 6am on Sunday morning last. DER4518GS009

The fire at the premises on Sunday morning was attended by fire crews from both the Donegal and Derry and An Garda Siochana.

A spokesperson for the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) said it responded to a call at 5.47am on Sunday morning, November 4, to a “well developed” fire at the stables.

The spokesperson continued: “A horse transporter was also on fire to the rear of the property. Three appliances, two from Northland Fire Station and one from Crescent Link Fire Station, attended the incident. Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus extinguished the fire and prevented it from spreading to adjacent stables.”

They confirmed that two horses, sadly died at the scene, prior to the arrival of the fire crews. The woman was treated at the scene by ambulance personnel for smoke inhalation and minor burns. She was taken to hospital by ambulance. The NIFRS said the incident was dealt with almost two hours after the initial call, at 7.21 am and confirmed the cause appeared to have been “accidental.” The scene was handed over to Donegal Fire Service and An Garda Siochana for further investigation.

Inishowen Garda Superintendent, Eugene McGovern, said the scene was preserved by Gardai in order to carry out an investigation and a scenes of crime examination took place. He asked anyone in the Derryvane/Dundrain/Lenamore areas, who may have passed the stables between 3am and 5am on Sunday to contact them if they can be of assistance. Buncrana Garda Station can be contacted at (00353) 74 93 20540.

On their website, Lenamore Stables tell how the stables have been in the Graham family for over 100 years. For decades, the stables have provided horse riding lessons for young people across Derry and Donegal.

In a statement posted on their facebook page on Monday, owners Geraldine and Kenneth Graham thanked everyone for their support.

They said: “We would like to take this opportunity to thank our clients, owners and well-wishers for their messages and gestures of support at this difficult time for all of our team at Lenamore Stables. We would ask for patience and some space while we come to terms with our loss in the coming days. Currently we are working on getting back to normal opening hours, and it is our intention to resume operations and lessons as soon as possible. Information on re-opening times will be issued via our social media web site.”