Percy French revamp on schedule despite fire

Cavan County Council says the major multi-million euro regeneration project - to include a remote working hub and enterprise and community facilities on the site of the former Percy French Hotel - should “proceed as scheduled” despite a fire at the property last Friday afternoon.

Gardaí are treated the incident as suspected arson.

Work on a €10m redevelopment is due to begin in just a few weeks time, and a council spokesperson praised the swift response of Cavan County Fire Service, in particular Ballyjamesduff and Virginia Fire Brigades, who attended the scene and put out the blaze without too much damage caused.

The street was closed to all traffic as a precaution while crews secured the area, with no injuries reported.

The cause of the fire is not yet known but there have been concerns over anti-social behaviour on the site in the past which resulted in the owner, Cavan County Council, securing the derlict site further.

The newly-refurbished Percy French Hotel is expected to open in 2027.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the local authority said due to the response by fire services, the “damage was limited and the majority of the structure was unharmed. The building was re-secured once the emergency services declared the building safe.”

They added that the “main construction work on a major regeneration project - to include a remote working hub and enterprise and community facilities on the site of the former hotel, had been due to commence in the coming weeks, and Cavan County Council expects this work to proceed as scheduled.”