‘Heartbroken’ couple reveal damage to new Waterford business after ‘devastating’ fire
Gardaí in Waterford have confirmed that they are investigating the incident
A “heartbroken” couple have revealed the full extent of the damage to their new Waterford business after a “devastating” fire.
The Celtic Bull Garden Centre and Farmers Shop in Stradbally officially opened its doors for the first time on Saturday, September 19.
However, hours later, the building was damaged in a suspected arson attack overnight.
The shop owners, Aleksandra Krynicka and her partner Paul, have since detailed the damage done to their new premises.
Aleksandra said: “We had only just opened our doors and were finally starting to build something we had worked incredibly hard for.
“We put everything we had into creating this little garden centre, café and shop — financially, physically and emotionally.
“The damage is devastating. The entire inside of the building is covered in thick black soot and smoke damage.
“A large amount of stock, furniture and equipment has been destroyed or is so badly contaminated that it cannot be saved.”
She outlined the amount of work that will have to be done before the business can reopen.
“Before we can reopen, the premises will require extensive cleaning and restoration.
“We need to remove the burned flooring, dispose of items that cannot be salvaged, deep-clean the entire building from the soot, smoke, petrol and oil contamination, repaint all the walls and replace damaged furniture, fittings, equipment and stock.
“We are absolutely heartbroken. We had put everything we had into this business, and because we had only just opened, we simply do not have the financial resources to cover the cost of this unexpected disaster ourselves.”
The couple have set up a GoFundMe page to help with these costs.
Aleksandra continued: “We know that times are difficult for everyone, and we completely understand that not everyone can donate.
“If you cannot contribute financially, sharing our fundraiser can make a huge difference.
“We have worked so hard to build this business from the ground up. We had only just opened our doors and were so excited about what the future could bring.
“To have it taken away from us like this is incredibly difficult to put into words.”
She concluded by thanking everyone in the local community for their support since the fire.
In a statement to Waterford Live, gardaí have confirmed that they are investigating the incident.
A Garda spokesperson said: “Gardaí are investigating an incident of criminal damage by fire at a premises in Stradbally, Co Waterford.
“It is understood to have occurred sometime between Saturday evening, September 19 and the following morning, Sunday, September 20.
“Investigations are ongoing at this time,” they concluded.
A link to the couple’s GoFundMe fundraiser can be found here.