Efforts were continuing late last night to find alternative accommodation for almost 50 elderly people evacuated from a Co Offaly nursing home following a fire shortly after 4pm yesterday.
The residents had to be evacuated from the Gallen Priory nursing home in Ferbane, after a small fire broke out in the basement of the building, causing a loss of electrical power and clouds of smoke throughout the building.
They were moved to the nearby Heritage Centre in the town, where the Health Service Executive provided beds and blankets. From there, some of the patients were brought home by their families, while efforts to source alternative nursing home accommodation for the other residents continued last night.
"The Health Service Executive have a unit here in the Heritage Centre for children with special needs, so they have beds and blankets here.
"It is a warm building, and everyone is comfortable, but it wouldn't be suitable accommodation on a long-term basis," said Cllr Eamon Dooley, who is a member of the committee that runs the Heritage Centre.
According to one eyewitness, many of the patients are "in good physical shape, and were sitting up drinking tea and eating sandwiches in the Heritage Centre."
A Garda press office spokeswoman described the incident as "a small fire". She added: "No one was in any danger in the fire, but for health and safety reasons a decision was taken to evacuate the 47 patients to other accommodation in the area."
Gardaí were called to the scene by members of the local ambulance service at about 4.30pm.
Former Fine Gael TD Charlie McDonald is part-owner of the nursing home. It is not yet clear when it will reopen.