Cavan Orphanage fire

[2] The Poor Clares, an enclosed contemplative order, founded a convent in Cavan in 1861 in a large premises on Main Street.

In 1868 they opened an orphanage, designed by William Hague Jr.[3] At that time young petty criminals could be educated and learn a trade in a reformatory; however, orphaned and abandoned children were not accorded the same opportunity.

At this stage it would have been possible to evacuate all of the children but instead the nuns persuaded the local people to attempt to put out the fire.

[5] This finding has been disputed by many, including in a limerick written by the secretary to the inquiry, Brian O'Nolan, better known as the author Flann O'Brien, and one of the counsel representing the Electricity Supply Board, Tom O'Higgins, later Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and presidential candidate.

So it had to be caused by a wire.It was alleged that the nuns prevented firefighters entering the building in case they saw the girls inside in a state of undress.

Also, the structure of the orphanage, with many locked and barred doors, has been compared to a "fortress", presumably intended to safeguard the chastity of the inmates.

According to contemporary accounts the fire brigade could not access the dormitory due to the massive flames and the insufficient length of their ladders.

Due to the nature of the fire, the remains of the dead girls were placed in 8 coffins and buried in Cullies cemetery in Cavan.

The plaque was anonymously donated to the Friends of the Cavan Orphanage Victims group The town did not have any sort of formal or professional fire brigade.

By the time the Dundalk Fire Brigade (which was a professional unit) had covered the forty-five or so miles of twisting road, there was nothing to be done.

Its safety instructions covered areas for which "a Department of State has any responsibility or for which [it] has power to make rules or regulations in respect of the maintenance of inmates.