Gardaí are investigating the cause of a fire at a protected building in Co Clare this morning.
The fire at the former Our Lady’s psychiatric hospital at Dulick in Ennis was detected at around 7.00am.
Four units of the fire brigade from the town responded to the call and on arrival located a fire in a hall adjacent to the main building.
Part of the roof collapsed into the building however firefighters soon brought the fire under control.
The main building was constructed in the 1860’s but closed its doors in 2002. Efforts to reopen the facility as a private hospital and hotel have no materialised.
The building is a listed structure and also noted as an architectural conservation area.
Fire fighters were at the scene for several hours while a garda investigation into the cause of the blaze is now underway.