Devastating - south Donegal restaurant completely destroyed by fire
Investigations are ongoing though foul play is not suspected
Pettigo has been dealt a major blow as one of the village’s two restaurants was destroyed by fire.
Mani’s Bistro on the village’s Main Street had only recently opened in the premises formerly known as Egan’s. It had brought a vibrancy to the community, proving popular with locals and visitors alike.
The blaze broke out in the early hours of Monday, completely gutting the building. Five firefighting crews attended, one each from Ballyshannon and Donegal Town and three from Fermanagh.
Cllr Michael McMahon (SF) commended the stellar work of the fire crews.
“This was a devastating fire that completely destroyed the building from the ground up,” he said. “The fire brigades did really great work making sure that it didn’t spread to other surrounding buildings.”
Fortunately, no-one was injured. Gardaí are investigating the incident, though it is understood that foul play is not suspected.
Cllr McMahon said it was a sad day for Pettigo.
“This will have a devastating effect on the village,” he said,
“The restaurant was working very well, with locals and visitors from all over the country.
“There were only two places to eat in Pettigo, Mani’s and the Termon Complex.
“It was only recently done up. This will be a big loss to everyone concerned and to the village of Pettigo that was trying to build up business.
“We will certainly try to give those affected all the support we can.”