Wednesday 28 October 2026Compiled from published reports. Every claim links to its source.

Ireland Crime

Every case followed from the first report to the sentence, or to where the reporting stopped.

Case No. 6191Arson · Co. Galway · 16 Dec 2023

Four people released without charge over Rosscahill hotel fire, Co Galway

A fire at Ross Lake House hotel in Rosscahill, Co Galway, on 16 December 2023 caused substantial damage to a building that had been earmarked to house 70 asylum seekers. Gardaí believe the fire was started deliberately, following protests in the run-up to it. On the morning of Thursday 28 March 2024, four people, two men and two women aged in their 40s and 50s, were arrested on suspicion of offences under the Criminal Damage Act 1991 and the Offences Against the State (Amendment) Act 1998. All four were released without charge by 29 March 2024, files are being prepared for the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, and the investigation is ongoing.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrested28 Mar
    3 reports
  3. Charged
  4. In court
  5. Verdict
  6. Sentenced
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
What happened
  • The Ross Lake House hotel had been earmarked to house 70 asylum seekers.
  • Sources differ on the damage: one says the building was substantially damaged by fire, another says the fire destroyed most of it.
Where
The fire was at Ross Lake House hotel in Rosscahill, Co Galway.
When
  • The fire occurred on 16 December 2023.
  • Four people were arrested on the morning of Thursday 28 March 2024.
Cause
Gardaí are confident the fire was started deliberately, following protests in the run-up to it, and describe the incident as a hotel arson.
Investigation
  • Gardaí are investigating the incident as criminal damage by fire.
  • Galway Divisional Crime Functional Area and the National Bureau of Crime Investigation carried out the arrest operation.
  • All four people were released without charge, and files will be prepared for the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions; a garda.ie update dated 1 March 2024 also reports the release, which is earlier than the reported arrests.
Charges
  • Two men aged in their 40s and 50s were arrested on suspicion of offences under the Criminal Damage Act 1991 and detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984.
  • Two women aged in their 40s and 50s were arrested on suspicion of offences under the Offences Against the State (Amendment) Act 1998 and detained under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act 1939.
Other details
  • The four people were held at a Garda station in the north western region and are understood to be from the local area.
  • All four were involved in protests about the proposed use of the building before the fire, which far-right activists from other parts of the country also attended.
  • The fire was one of about 20 arson attacks against accommodation rumoured to be earmarked for asylum seeker housing in recent years.
53 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatThe Ross Lake hotel suffered major damage in a fire. (galwaybeo.ie)
  • whatFour people were arrested in relation to a fire at a disused hotel in Co Galway last December. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatFour people were arrested in relation to a fire at a disused hotel in Co Galway. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe Ross Lake House hotel had been earmarked for housing 70 asylum seekers. (irishtimes.com)
  • whereThe fire was at a premises in Rosscahill, Co Galway. (garda.ie, galwaybeo.ie)
  • whereThe hotel is Ross Lake House in Galway. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whereThe hotel was the Ross Lake House hotel in Rosscahill. (irishtimes.com)
  • whereThe arson attack was on a premises in Rosscahill, Co Galway. (irishtimes.com)
  • whereThe fire occurred at a premises in Rosscahill, County Galway. (galwaybeo.ie)
  • whenThe fire occurred on 16 December 2023. (garda.ie, galwaybeo.ie)
  • whenThe fire happened on 16 December 2023. (galwaybeo.ie)
  • whenFour people were arrested on the morning of Thursday 28 March 2024. (galwaybeo.ie)
  • whenThe fire occurred on December 16th. (irishtimes.com)
  • whenThe hotel was substantially damaged by fire on December 16th. (irishtimes.com)
  • causeGardaí are confident the fire was started deliberately. (irishtimes.com)
  • causeGardaí are confident the fire was started following protests in the run up to the arson attack. (irishtimes.com)
  • causeThe article describes the incident as a hotel arson. (galwaybeo.ie)
  • investigationGardaí are continuing to investigate the fire. (garda.ie)
  • investigationInvestigations are ongoing. (garda.ie, irishtimes.com)
  • investigationGardaí are investigating the incident as criminal damage by fire. (galwaybeo.ie)
  • investigationGardaí from Galway Divisional Crime Functional Area and the National Bureau of Crime Investigation carried out the arrest operation. (galwaybeo.ie)
  • investigationThe investigation is ongoing and further updates will follow. (galwaybeo.ie)
  • investigationThe two men are being detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984. (irishmirror.ie, irishtimes.com)
  • investigationThe two women are being detained under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act 1939. (irishmirror.ie, irishtimes.com)
  • investigationThe arrests were made on a Thursday morning as part of an operation by gardaí from the Galway divisional crime functional area and the National Bureau of Crime Investigation. (irishmirror.ie)
  • investigationThe four people have been released and files will be prepared for the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. (irishtimes.com)
  • investigationFour people were arrested in connection with the fire. (galwaybeo.ie)
  • investigationAll four people have been released without charge. (galwaybeo.ie)
  • investigationThe investigation is ongoing. (galwaybeo.ie)
  • chargeTwo women aged in their 40s and 50s were arrested for alleged offences under the Offences Against the State (Amendment) Act 1998. (garda.ie)
  • chargeTwo men aged in their 40s and 50s were arrested for alleged offences under the Criminal Damage Act 1991. (garda.ie)
  • chargeTwo males were arrested for alleged offences under the Criminal Damage Act 1991. (galwaybeo.ie)
  • chargeTwo females were arrested for alleged offences under the Offences Against the State (Amendment) Act 1998. (galwaybeo.ie)
  • chargeTwo men were arrested for alleged offences contrary to the Criminal Damage Act 1991. (irishmirror.ie)
  • chargeTwo women were arrested for alleged offences contrary to the Offences Against the State (Amendment) Act 1998. (irishmirror.ie)
  • chargeTwo men aged in their 40s and 50s were arrested for alleged offences contrary to the Criminal Damage Act, 1991. (irishtimes.com)
  • chargeTwo women aged in their 40s and 50s were arrested for alleged offences contrary to the Offences Against the State (Amendment) Act, 1998. (irishtimes.com)
  • chargeTwo men and two women, aged in their 40s and 50s, were arrested for alleged offences under the Criminal Damage Act, 1991. (irishtimes.com)
  • chargeTwo women were arrested for alleged offences under the Offences Against the State (Amendment) Act 1998. (galwaybeo.ie)
  • chargeTwo men were arrested for alleged offences under the Criminal Damage Act 1991. (galwaybeo.ie)
  • otherThe two women and two men have been released without charge. (garda.ie)
  • otherFiles will be prepared for the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. (garda.ie, galwaybeo.ie)
  • otherThe two men were detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984. (galwaybeo.ie)
  • otherThe two women were detained under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act, 1939. (galwaybeo.ie)
  • otherAll four people were being held at a Garda station in the North Western Region. (galwaybeo.ie)
  • otherThe building had been earmarked for housing 70 asylum seekers. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherAll four are being held at a Garda station in the north western region. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherAll four arrested people were involved in protests about the proposed use of the building before it was set alight. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe protests attracted far-right activists from other parts of the country, but the suspects arrested are from the local area, sources said. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe hotel was to be used for temporary accommodation for 70 asylum seekers, some of whom had been forced to sleep rough. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe fire was one of about 20 arson attacks against accommodation rumoured to be earmarked for asylum seeker housing in recent years. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe protests attracted far-right activists from other parts of the country. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe suspects who were arrested and released without charge are understood to be from the local area. (irishtimes.com)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 29 Mar2024
    Othergalwaybeo.ie, first report
    Galway gardai update after four people arrested over hotel arson incident

    Gardaí update: two women and two men arrested over the Rosscahill hotel fire have been released without charge, and files go to the DPP. No existing case covers this fire.

    suspect, 40s, femalesuspect, 50s, femalesuspect, 40s, malesuspect, 50s, male
  2. 29 Mar2024
    Otheririshtimes.com, follow-up
    Four people arrested over asylum arson attack released without charge

    Four people arrested over the Rosscahill arson attack have been released without charge, and files will go to the DPP. Gardaí believe the fire followed protests.

    suspect, 40s and 50s, malesuspect, 40s and 50s, malesuspect, 40s and 50s, femalesuspect, 40s and 50s, female
  3. 28 Mar2024
    Arrestedirishtimes.com, follow-up
    Four arrested over fire at Co Galway hotel are from local area

    Reports that four people, two men and two women aged in their 40s and 50s, were arrested and detained under the Criminal Damage Act, 1991 and the Offences Against the State (Amendment) Act, 1998. It also says all four were involved in protests before the fire and that the hotel had been earmarked for asylum seeker accommodation.

    suspect, 40s, malesuspect, 50s, malesuspect, 40s, femalesuspect, 50s, female
  4. 28 Mar2024
    Arrestedirishmirror.ie, follow-up
    Four arrested over fire at hotel set to house asylum seekers

    Reports the arrests on Thursday of two men in their 40s and 50s and two women in their 40s and 50s, with alleged offences under the Criminal Damage Act 1991 and the Offences Against the State (Amendment) Act 1998. The existing record says they were released without charge; this article does not say that.

    suspect, malesuspect, malesuspect, femalesuspect, female
  5. 28 Mar2024
    Arrestedgalwaybeo.ie, follow-up
    Galway gardai swarm premises arresting four after hotel fire bomb attack

    Reports the arrest of four people on 28 March 2024 in the Rosscahill hotel fire investigation, including the offences they are suspected of, the detaining Garda unit and the fact that the Ross Lake hotel was due to house refugees.

    suspect, 40s, malesuspect, 50s, malesuspect, 40s, femalesuspect, 50s, female
  6. 1 Mar2024
    Othergarda.ie, follow-up
    Update - Arrests, Arson Investigation, Rosscahill, Co. Galway 16th December 2023

    Official garda.ie update confirming the four arrested people were released without charge, with the offences identified as contrary to the Offences Against the State (Amendment) Act 1998 (two women) and the Criminal Damage Act 1991 (two men). Files go to the DPP and the investigation continues.

    suspect, 40s, femalesuspect, 50s, femalesuspect, 40s, malesuspect, 50s, male