Saturday 31 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. 21462Criminal damage (suspected arson) · Co. Donegal · 15 Apr 2023

Gardaí investigate suspicious fire at vacant house in Ballybofey, Donegal

Gardaí are investigating a criminal damage incident at a vacant house in the Sessiaghoneill area of Ballybofey, Co Donegal, in the early hours of Saturday 15 April 2023, between 1am and 2am. Fire Services extinguished the flames, but the house sustained substantial damage and nobody was injured. Gardaí have not ruled out that the fire was started deliberately, and no arrest or charge has been reported. On 18 April 2023 Gardaí appealed for witnesses and for dash cam footage from the road past Sessiaghoneill Chapel, and the case remains under investigation.

  1. Reported18 Apr
  2. Arrested
  3. Charged
  4. In court
  5. Verdict
  6. Sentenced
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
What happened
  • Gardaí are investigating a criminal damage incident at a vacant house.
  • Fire Services attended, extinguished the flames and the house sustained substantial damage.
Where
The house is in the Sessiaghoneill area of Ballybofey, Co Donegal.
When
The fire occurred in the early hours of Saturday 15 April 2023, between 1am and 2am; a photo caption says Fire Services attended on Friday night.
Cause
Gardaí have not ruled out that the fire was started deliberately.
Investigation
  • Gardaí are investigating all the circumstances surrounding the fire.
  • Gardaí appealed on 18 April 2023 to anyone who witnessed activity in the area in the early hours of Saturday to contact them.
  • Gardaí asked anyone who travelled on the road past Sessiaghoneill Chapel at those times with a dash cam to contact them.
Other details
Nobody was injured, and the incident was first reported by donegallive.ie on 18 April 2023.
9 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatGardaí are investigating a criminal damage incident at a vacant house. (donegallive.ie)
  • whatFire Services attended and extinguished the flames, causing substantial damage. (donegallive.ie)
  • whereThe house is in the Sessiaghoneill area of Ballybofey. (donegallive.ie)
  • whenThe incident occurred in the early hours of Saturday, 15 April, between 1am and 2am. (donegallive.ie)
  • causeGardaí have not ruled out that the fire was started deliberately. (donegallive.ie)
  • investigationGardaí are investigating all the circumstances surrounding the fire. (donegallive.ie)
  • investigationGardaí appeal to anyone who witnessed activity in the area in the early hours of Saturday to contact them. (donegallive.ie)
  • investigationGardaí ask anyone who travelled on the road past Sessiaghoneill Chapel at those times with a dash cam to contact them. (donegallive.ie)
  • otherNobody was injured. (donegallive.ie)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 18 Apr2023
    Reporteddonegallive.ie, first report
    Sessiaghoneill fire being treated as suspicious by Gardaí in Ballybofey

    First report of the incident. Adds the investigation, the suspected deliberate cause, and Garda appeals for witnesses and dash cam footage.