FIRE AT DUBLIN CITY HALL

Evening Star, Issue 13145, 29 December 1908, Page 6

FIRE AT DUBLIN CITY HALL

What might have been a very serious firt was fortun-Uely discovered in time early in the morning- of November 11 at the Dublin Town Hall. It broke out in the fine Council Chamber, which is located in the upper Etorey of the building, facing the main street. But for the prompt measures taken to fight the flumes, the damage Would have been considerable. As it was, the action of the fire was limited to the portion of the Council Chamber immediately around the mayor's chair, the rich carvings of which were much' injured. The wall decorations and the wall pictures suffered most damage. But the Irretrievable damage is to the paintings. An insurance expert estimated the total damage at about £3,000. This does not allow, of course, for the sentimental and historical value of the paintings. Some of them are works of s>rt. For instance, the portrait of Mr Sexton, which was painted by Tbaddeus. The portrait of Mr John Dillon, M.P., was bv W. V. D. Delanv, and the portrait of O'Conncll l:y Catterlon Smith, R.H.A., and was a very striking likeness. The portrait of Hugh Tarpey was by Sir Thomas A. Jones, who was at one time president of the Royal Hibernian Academy. The real value of these paintings cannot be estimated, because they were municipal treasures that cannot be replaced. The recent decision of the Corpora* tion to insure with the new Hibernian Insurance Company has raised the question whether this company would have to deal so early in its career with such a fire as this; but the Corporation's policies with the company did not come into effect till the 25th of November. The damage is insured with eight of the largest companies in the United Kingdom.