Family Devastated After Fire Destroys Long-Established Enniscorthy Business

A long-established family business in Enniscorthy has been left devastated following a major industrial fire on the Shannon side of the town.

Wexford Fire Service says it was alerted to the blaze at 7.06pm yesterday, with two fire appliances initially dispatched to the scene.

On arrival, crews found the tyre storage building well alight and a turntable ladder along with additional fire appliances were requested.

The main fire was brought under control within around 30 minutes, with crews remaining at the scene dealing with hotspots until approximately 10pm.

However, the fire later rekindled in the early hours of this morning.

Gardaí alerted the fire service at around 3.35am, with two appliances returning to the scene. That operation concluded at approximately 5am.

The premises has been extensively damaged, with the roof collapsed and much of the building destroyed.

Speaking to South East Radio from outside the premises this morning, Holly Hendricks, daughter of the business owner, said the family is struggling to comprehend what has happened.

She described the loss as "absolutely devastating", saying the family does not know where to begin.

Holly said they watched as flames and black smoke engulfed the premises and walls began to crumble, but said the kindness shown by the people of Enniscorthy and further afield has been overwhelming.

Messages of support have been arriving from across Ireland and even from as far away as Switzerland.

She said neighbours and members of the community rallied around the family as the fire unfolded, including helping her mother, who is recovering from major surgery.

Holly also spoke emotionally about what the business meant to her father, who has spent much of his life working there.

She recalled how he would routinely go out of his way to help customers and said he would never see anyone stuck — even getting up late at night to repair a child's punctured bicycle after a full day's work.

The business, she said, was about much more than earning a living.

The Hendricks family has a long association with business in Enniscorthy, stretching back through previous generations.

Holly said seeing the Hendricks name being taken down from the damaged building felt like "the end of an era".

She said the premises had given her father a sense of purpose and added emotionally that the family now does not know what they are going to do for him.

Despite the devastation, Holly said the family is deeply grateful that nobody was hurt and thanked the community for the extraordinary kindness and support shown to them.

The road in the area has since reopened and the heavy smoke which affected the area yesterday evening has cleared.

Cathaoirleach of Enniscorthy Municipal District Pat Kehoe visited the scene this morning and described the damage as devastating.

He said the roof of the building had collapsed in on itself and the premises appeared to be completely burnt out.

Mr Kehoe said the business had been operating in Enniscorthy for many years and was very well known locally with generations of the family involved.

He described it as an important business for the area providing employment and a valued service to customers in the town.

There is no indication at this stage as to how the fire started.

Mr Kehoe said the focus now is on the family and the impact the loss of the business will have on them, their employees and the wider Enniscorthy community.

Meanwhile Senator Cathal Byrne paid tribute to the emergency services who attended the scene and the Hendricks family