A Garda forensic team was yesterday examining the site of a fire that destroyed two lake-island homes of Bronze Age chieftains in the Craggaunowen visitor park in Co Clare.
The artificially recreated crannógs are two of the most popular attractions at the 5-acre heritage park, which interprets Ireland's pre-historic and early Christian eras.
Fire Brigade units from Ennis and Shannon were alerted to the fire at 9 p.m. on Sunday night. Without their quick action the fire damage would have been much worse, according to the chief executive of Shannon Heritage, Mr John Ruddle.
Mr Ruddle said yesterday that it is planned to rebuild the crannógs as soon as possible.
"It is a small, but important, part of the site that has been destroyed." The estimated cost of the damage is €30,000, he added.
Crannógs were artificial islands on which people built houses, kept animals and lived in relative security. The houses that were destroyed in the fire were thatched.
Last year, the Craggaunowen site attracted over 36,000 visitors.
The visitor attraction, which employs 25 people, is one of several managed by Shannon Heritage in the mid-west.
