Kingstown Pavilion destroyed by fire

Kingstown, 13 November 1915 - Kingstown Pavilion has been destroyed by a fire that broke out around 2pm today.

The fire was discovered by a local woman who had gone to the venue to book tickets. The manager of the Pavilion, Fred Ferne, was not to be found, but thick smoke could be seen filling a corridor from the top of the hall.

The fire brigade attempted to control the blaze but the rush of flames was such as to drive the firemen backwards. Soon, the roof collapsed and by the time the fire had burned out the Pavilion stood as a mere shell.

The Pavilion in Kingstown years earlier. (Image: National Library of Ireland, LROY 00689)

The Pavilion was a wooden structure that had been built in 1902 and could accommodate 3,000 people.

[Editor's note: This is an article from Century Ireland, a fortnightly online newspaper, written from the perspective of a journalist 100 years ago, based on news reports of the time.]