I lost my mother’s ashes in hotel fire started by suspected anti-migrant arsonists in Ireland, says heartbroken owner of Galway’s Lake House – which once hosted Hollywood icon Maureen O’Hara

One of the American owners of a County Galway hotel torched by suspected immigration arsonists has said her mother’s ashes were destroyed in the blaze.

The former Ross Lake House hotel in Rosscahill, which was once home to Hollywood icon Maureen O’Hara, suffered extensive fire damage on December 16, just hours after locals protested at the site.

It was agreed that 70 asylum seekers would move into the building the following week.

In recent years it was purchased by oncologist Allen Stringer and his wife Shannon Kincaid Texaswho have strong ties with Ireland.

Their daughter Arden Stringer represented Texas in the 2022 Rose of Tralee and their son Kincaid Stringer is a professional Irish dancer who has traveled the world with Riverdance.

Arden Stringer searches through the remains after the fire that destroyed her parents’ former Ross Lake House hotel in Rosscahill, County Galway in Ireland

The historic 19th century hotel was set on fire by suspected anti-migrant arsonists in December

Oncologist Allen Stringer and his wife Shannon Kincaid, from Texas, who have strong ties to Ireland, bought the hotel with the idea of ​​moving to Ireland

In a lengthy statement on her website, Shannon Kincaid said their dream was to emigrate to Galway and ‘start a whole new life together’.

However, after an unexpected change in Allen’s health in November, the couple decided to return to the US for medical treatment that was not available here.

It was at this time that they put the former hotel on the market – but little did they know it would later be used to house asylum seekers.

“Ultimately, we planned to sign a contract with a company that wanted to lease the property for its own purposes,” Ms. Kincaid wrote.

“It was this company – and not us – that negotiated a contract with the government to provide shelter for refugees.”

The mother-of-three, a respected artist, said protesters “sprung into action” after hearing about the property’s future purpose.

She said: “The protesters placed fallen trees and a shipping container on the private road that we and our few immediate neighbors share to block any access to our property.

‘They also used concrete blocks and boulders to add to the disruption, and also cut through the cattle guard at the entrance to our property to further restrict access.

‘Police are still investigating who set the building on fire next, but it seems very likely that it was a group of people who shared similar sentiments to these protesters.

‘It took two 200 meter hoses before the fire brigade could reach the fire.

“My understanding is they didn’t get past the shipping container, which is a quarter of a mile from where the fire was.”

Many family heirlooms were lost, including her mother’s ashes and her son’s dancing boots.

The only item that survived the fire was a statue of an angel, purchased by Mrs. Kincaid from a Mexican sculptor who works with concrete, which does not burn.

“Someone set our house on fire, leaving our family with nothing but the charred remains of our cherished memories,” Ms. Kincaid said.

‘We lived in a small house on the property and the hotel served as a place for our family to store everything we had brought from America, which has now been reduced to rubble and ash.

‘The only thing left standing… was a statue of an angel that I had bought from a Mexican sculptor who works with concrete, which does not burn.

“There has been misinformation and misinformation circulating through social media and news agencies describing our property as an abandoned hotel – a vacant building that has been burned to the ground – and we as ‘greedy Americans/Jewish globalists’ have profited from the pollution of rural areas of Connemara.’

The property had not yet been abandoned and was being prepared for a renovation to restore it to its former glory.

Ms Kincaid added: ‘As a result of the public outcry and the arson, Arden received hundreds of threatening messages online… It was shocking and hurtful to see this kind of hatred directed at us and humiliating to be accused of being traitors are.

“We know these actions are not representative of Ireland as a whole.”

In March, four people were arrested in connection with the suspected arson and released without charge.

Files are being prepared for the DPP.

Ms. Kincaid has been contacted for comment.