The devastated McLaughlin family have issued a statement following a major fire at their Cherrymore Kitchens premises in Donegal Town last night.
The blaze, which broke out on Ballyshannon Road, caused extensive damage to the industrial premises. Firefighters battled the fire through Thursday night and into Friday morning, working to prevent it from spreading to nearby buildings.
The incident had forced the closure of the R267 into Donegal Town, with no access permitted from the Tullyearl roundabout.
The McLaughlin family said their Donegal Town premises will remain closed while they assess the full extent of the damage.
“Most importantly, we want to reassure everyone that no personnel were on-site at the time, and everyone is safe,” they added.
They also expressed their gratitude to those who responded to the incident.
“We would like to extend our sincere thanks to the emergency services for their swift response.
“We also want to voice our immense gratitude to our neighbour Shane and all the team at Donegal Waste for their incredible support during this incident.
“Thank you to our wider community for your ongoing patience as we work through this. We will keep you updated on our progress,” the statement concluded.
Support
Ballybofey and Stranorlar Chamber of Commerce also shared their support for the long-established, family-run business.
“Our thoughts and feelings go out this morning to Martin and Harry Mc Laughlin,” they said.
“This is especially devastating as this year marks their 30th anniversary of trading and provides employment to many families. We as a chamber will do our utmost to help in any way we can,” they added.