Two men in their 30s arrested in Dublin over petrol bomb arson attack on elderly couple's home in Kilcully, Cork
Two masked men threw a petrol bomb into a detached bungalow at Ballincrokig near Kilcully, Cork, at approximately 9pm on 24 April 2025, causing extensive damage. The 88-year-old man and his 84-year-old wife fled the blazing building and were treated for smoke inhalation at the scene. No arrests were made initially, and the scene was preserved for forensic examination. On 7 May 2025, two men in their 30s were arrested at different addresses in Dublin 7 on suspicion of committing arson, detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, and a car was seized in Dublin and brought to Cork for forensic examination. Gardaí said they were satisfied the attack was a case of mistaken identity.
- Reported25 Apr
- Arrested7 May
- Charged
- In court
- Verdict
- Sentenced
Key facts
consolidated from all reports- What happened
- Two masked men threw a petrol bomb into a detached bungalow, which ignited on impact and caused extensive damage.
- The 88-year-old man and his 84-year-old wife fled the building and were treated for smoke inhalation at the scene but were otherwise uninjured.
- Where
- The attack took place at a detached bungalow at Ballincrokig near Kilcully cemetery, just outside Cork City.
- When
- The incident occurred at approximately 9pm on Thursday, 24 April 2025, and the blaze was brought under control just before 11:30pm.
- Investigation
- The scene was preserved for technical and forensic examination, and Gardaí began harvesting CCTV footage from homes and commercial premises in the Kilcully area.
- Two men in their 30s were arrested at different addresses in Dublin 7 on suspicion of committing arson and detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act at Gurranabraher and Mayfield Garda stations.
- Gardaí seized a car at an address in Dublin and brought it to Cork for forensic examination.
- Other details
- Gardaí were satisfied the attack was a case of mistaken identity and the arsonists targeted the wrong house.
- Two fire engines and a water tanker with 15 crew members were deployed, and the couple were treated by Cork City Fire Brigade and the National Ambulance Service.
21 statements extracted from the articles
- whatA suspected arson incident occurred at a residence in the Ballincrokig area of Cork. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe homeowners, a couple in their 80s, were brought to safety and treated for smoke inhalation. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatTwo masked men threw a petrol bomb into the house, which ignited on impact and caused extensive damage. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe 88-year-old man and his 84-year-old wife fled the blazing building and were treated for smoke inhalation at the scene. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe couple were otherwise uninjured but extremely distressed and upset. (irishtimes.com)
- whereThe attack took place at a detached bungalow at Ballincrokig near Kilcully cemetery, just outside Cork City. (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe incident occurred at approximately 9pm on Thursday, 24 April 2025. (irishmirror.ie)
- whenThe blaze was brought under control just before 11:30pm. (irishmirror.ie)
- whenThe attack occurred at around 9pm on 24 April 2025. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationThe scene was preserved for technical and forensic examination into Friday evening. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationNo arrests had been made at the time of reporting. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationGardaí began harvesting CCTV footage from homes and commercial premises in the general Kilcully area. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationTwo men in their 30s were arrested at different addresses in Dublin 7 on suspicion of committing arson. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationThe two men are being detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act at Gurranabraher and Mayfield Garda stations and can be held for 24 hours. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationGardaí seized a car at an address in Dublin and brought it to Cork for forensic examination. (irishtimes.com)
- otherTwo fire engines and a water tanker were deployed with 15 crew members. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherCork City Fire Brigade attended at 9:15pm and remained at the scene until 11:26pm. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherCrews used breathing apparatus and hose reels to fight the fire. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherOccupants were treated by Cork City Fire Brigade and the National Ambulance Service. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherGardaí were satisfied the attack was a case of mistaken identity and the arsonists targeted the wrong house. (irishtimes.com)
- otherDet Supt Mick Comyns said gardaí were treating the incident as extremely serious. (irishtimes.com)
The reporting
newest first- 7 May2025Two men arrested in Dublin over arson attack in Cork that left elderly couple homeless
Initial arrest report: two men in their 30s arrested in Dublin 7 and brought to Cork for questioning at Gurranabraher and Mayfield Garda stations under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act. A car was seized in Dublin for forensic examination. Gardaí satisfied the attack was mistaken identity.
victim, 88, malevictim, 84, femalesuspect, 30s, malesuspect, 30s, male - 25 Apr2025Gardaí investigating after suspected arson incident at Cork home
Initial reporting of the suspected arson incident, including details of the emergency response, the condition of the occupants, and confirmation that no arrests had been made at the time.
victim, 80s, malevictim, 80s, female