O’Doherty family devastated as fire destroys business

THE owners of the Strabane coffin manufacturers gutted by fire yesterday have spoken of their devastation that their business has been destroyed.

Owners and Manus and Charles O’Doherty said,  “As a family we are absolutely devastated that a fire has destroyed our much loved family business on Railway Street in Strabane on Sunday.

“We are relieved that no one was hurt or injured in this fire.

“O’Doherty & Sons Ltd has been a part of Railway St since 1908 and we’ve been part of the fabric of Strabane town. It’s therefore a sad day for us to see so much of our family history destroyed by this fire.

“We would like to thank the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service for attending the fire, for getting it under control, for saving neighbouring properties and for protecting our community.

“We would also like to thank our employees, customers, suppliers, the public, and local businesses for their many messages of support at this tough time.

“We will take the next few days to reflect on what happened and plan for the future along with our dedicated and hardworking staff.”

The blaze began at O’Doherty’s and Sons at about 4pm on Sunday. At one stage around 80 fire-fighters tackled the inferno.

The cause of the blaze is still under investigation, however there is speculation it could have resulted from a lightning strike.