Major blaze damages Fiddler's Cottage - family home and tourist accomodation in Kesh, Co Fermanagh

A large blaze destroyed most of the home and the attached luxury Air Bnb accommodation, Fiddlers Cottage, on Saturday.

Firefighters received a report of the building fire on Drumwhinny Road, Kesh at 07:45am on Saturday 22 August.

Four appliances, one water tanker, one aerial appliance, one Command Support Unit and 36 personnel in attendance from Enniskillen, Irvinestown, Belleek, Dromore, Northland and Strabane fire stations tackled the blaze.

UUP Councillor Rosemary Barton said: "While it is devastating to learn of the significant damage caused by fire to both a home and the attached Airbnb accommodation on the outskirts of Kesh, it is a great relief that, thankfully, there were no casualties as a result of the incident."

UUP MLA Diana Armstrong sent her heartfelt sympathy to the business owner, Derek Woods, whose attached home was also badly damaged.

"Over many years, he has put an enormous amount of hard work, dedication and personal commitment into building Fiddler’s Cottage into the successful and much-valued hospitality business it is today. To see so much of that hard work impacted by such a devastating incident is a tremendous blow. To see so much of that hard work impacted by such a devastating incident is a tremendous blow.”

In a statement, Kesh Development Association said its thoughts are also with Mr Moore, “who has witnessed his home and business premises being extensively damaged by fire”.

The associated welcomed that nobody was injured but said the blaze was “a big set back to our village”.