No injuries after two boats go up in flames at Leitrim Marina

Two boats were destroyed after a fire broke out at the marina in Carrick-on-Shannon on Tuesday evening, November 4.

The blaze erupted at the Townspark marina, opposite The Landmark Hotel, with thick smoke seen rising across the River Shannon as flames spread quickly between the vessels.

Carrick-on-Shannon and Leitrim Fire Service units responded and brought the fire under control. Gardaí, ambulance crews and Waterways Ireland personnel also attended.

Gardaí confirmed: “The fire was extinguished by fire services. No injuries have been reported.”

Everyone linked to the boats has been accounted for.

The cause of the fire is not yet known and investigations are expected to follow once the scene has been fully secured. 

Local resident Gerry Faughnan, who lives nearby, said he first noticed the fire when he saw “the glow in the sky” from his home.

“I could see the blaze from the house, so I went down to see what was happening,” he told the Leitrim Observer. “I rang 999, but they already knew about it. It was a fair big blaze alright — it looked like one boat caught fire and then it spread to the other. I didn't stick around because you wouldn’t want to be too close to something like that unless you had to be, you wouldn't know if there would be gas that could blow or what.”

Pathfinders Custom Conversions — a Kinlough-based workshop and Ireland’s only RGI Gas Safety and Safe Electric–certified facility specialising in leisure vehicle safety — says fires on boats can escalate extremely fast.

General Manager Lorcan Kearns said: “Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this horrific event. We don’t want to speculate on the cause as investigations are ongoing, and it could have been ignited by any number of factors. Having a boat ourselves on a marina, we are acutely aware of how quickly fire can take hold.

As Ireland’s only RGI Gas Safety and Safe Electric–certified workshop, we strive to educate owners on the risks associated with gas and electrical systems in leisure vehicles. We strongly encourage anyone buying or converting a boat or camper to have it professionally checked — especially when relying on someone else’s workmanship.”

The reminder comes in the wake of the 2023 Marine Casualty Investigation Board (MCIB) report into the death of Detective Garda Deirdre Finn, who tragically lost her life in a fire on board a motor cruiser in Carrick-on-Shannon. The investigation recommended an update of regulations relating to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) installations on pleasure craft and similar vessels.

READ MORE WATCH: Two boats ablaze at marina in Carrick-on-Shannon