Gardaí are investigating an incident of suspected criminal damage which saw a large number of vehicles destroyed by fire overnight.
The blaze was reported at around midnight at a facility on the Quin Road in Ennis. Gardaí and units of Clare County Fire and Rescue Service from Ennis station responded to the incident.
On arrival, emergency crews found that a caravan and a number of cars were on fire. Firefighters quickly began tackling the blaze and spent around three hours at the scene dealing with the incident.
It’s understood that as many as 18 cars were extensively damaged or destroyed while at least one other suffered minor damage.
The scene was later preserved pending completion of a technical examination. Another scene was examined at a premises a short distance away however it’s not yet known whether that’s linked to the vehicle fires.
A Garda spokesperson confirmed: “Gardaí and local fire services responded to an incident at a premises on Quin Road, Ennis shortly after midnight following reports of a vehicle on fire. No one was injured. The scene is preserved for examination and inquiries are ongoing.”