Fire causes significant damage to long-established supermarket

Sarah Slater

Significant damage was caused to a long-established supermarket in Roscrea, Co Tipperary, on Monday night.

The alarm was raised around 2am when emergency services were called to Bernie’s SuperValu on Main Street in the town.

Fire units from Roscrea, Templemore, Nenagh, Cloughjordan and Limerick dealt with the blaze and prevented it from spreading to neighbouring buildings. Parts of Roscrea centre were closed for several hours.

Gardaí confirmed that no injuries were reported.

Fianna Fáil councillor Michael Smith said the damage to the supermarket is a “blow" to the entire community as the building has been open for several decades.

Cllr Smith added: “We feel numb and powerless because people want to help. It’s devastating for the owners, for the community of Roscrea.”

In a statement, the supermarket owners confirmed that Bernie’s SuperValu in Roscrea is closed until further notice following the fire.

The statement continued: ‘Thankfully, nobody has been injured as a result of the incident and all staff are safe. The fire has now been extinguished and we are very grateful to the emergency services for their swift response.

"We are currently working with the relevant authorities as part of an investigation to identify the specific cause of the fire. We would like to express our gratitude to all our customers and staff for their support.”

Gardaí said that "foul play is not suspected at this time.”