The relocated headquarters of the Jesuits in Ireland opened for business in Lower Leeson Street, Dublin, yesterday after a fire caused extensive damage to its original building.
The fire, which broke out at lunchtime on Good Friday, damaged the roof and upstairs section of the building at 87 Eglinton Road in Donnybrook.
Arson had been initially suspected, but a Garda spokeswoman said the results of various tests were not yet available so the cause of the fire had not been identified.
There had been concern that valuable historical files had been destroyed in the blaze, but yesterday the order said it appeared that most of their documents remained intact. Pat Coyle, Jesuits in Ireland communications manager, said most files were in the lower part of the building and they had not been damaged by fire or water.
She said the order's valuable archives were safe as they were stored elsewhere. "We are very happy about that," she said.
Ms Coyle also pointed out that all computer files had been backed up and so were safe.
However, the personal belongings of the four Jesuits who lived in the house were "totally destroyed", Ms Coyle said. No one was injured in the fire.
Six units from Dublin Fire Brigade fought the blaze after the alarm was raised by a postgraduate student who was in the building at the time.
Number 87, which consists of two houses in one, is a protected structure and will be restored, according to Ms Coyle.
However, this would take some time, she added.
Eglinton Road has been the headquarters of the Jesuits in Ireland since 1957 when the order moved from Gardiner Street.
The temporary headquarters are now located at 37 Lower Leeson Street.
