By Lisa Ramsden
A BLAZE which tore through a 120-year-old derelict mansion house in Newcastle earlier this week was started deliberately.
The historic Myrtle Lodge, which has lain empty for around 20 years, was extensively damaged.
Firefighters from the town’s station, along with crews from Kilkeel, Downpatrick and Rathfriland, rushed to the property, which sits on an extensive site off the Bryansford Road.
The alarm was raised shortly before 3pm on Monday. Thick black smoke could be seen rising from the site for several miles around. Fire crews remained at the scene for six hours.
Myrtle Lodge has an interesting history. It was built in 1906 by Hugh Annesley, 5th Earl, whose family estate now forms Castlewellan Forest Park.
A British military officer and MP for County Cavan, he built the property for his daughter Lady Mabel, who went on to become a renowned watercolour artist and wood engraver.
She named her new home ‘Myrtle’ and lived there until 1914, when she returned home to manage the family’s estate following the death of her brother Francis, who was killed in action when his plane was brought down during the First World War.
Myrtle Lodge was then lived in by Evelyn Hester Alywin, the remarried widow of Francis Annesley, until her death in 1947.
It was later lived in for several decades by a Colonel Manning. Its last owner was local man, the late Sean Small, who established the Burrendale Hotel.
Myrtle Lodge is built on the site of an older property – ‘Tollymore House’ – which was constructed in the 1700s and was home to the Keown family.
A spokeswoman for the NI Fire and Rescue Service said the blaze was reported at 2.57pm, and that firefighting operations concluded just over six hours later.
“Firefighters were called to reports of a fire at a three-storey derelict building on Bryansford Road, Newcastle. Firefighters used three jets to extinguish the fire. The cause of the fire is believed to be deliberate ignition, and firefighters left the scene at 9.21pm.
“Two appliances from Newcastle Fire Station, one appliance from Downpatrick Fire Station, one appliance from Rathfriland Fire Station and one appliance from Kilkeel Fire Station attended the incident,” she confirmed.
The PSNI also said the fire was started deliberately and appealed for anyone with information to come forward.
A spokeswoman told the Mourne Observer: “Police are appealing for information in relation to a fire at a property in the Bryansford Road area of Newcastle.
“At this time, we believe the fire has been started deliberately and anyone who may have witnessed suspicious behaviour or anyone with CCTV or dash-cam footage that could assist with enquiries, is asked to contact police on 101 quoting reference 975 10/08/26.”
Read more in the current issue.
