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 anti-immigration arsonists has said her mother's ashes were destroyed in the blaze.

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

It was arranged that 70 asylum seekers would move into the property the following week.

In recent years, it was purchased by oncologist Allen Stringer and his wife Shannon Kincaid, from Texas, who have strong links with Ireland.

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

In a lengthy statement on her website, Shannon Kincaid said it was their dream to immigrate to Galway and 'start a whole new life together'.

However, following an unexpected change to Allen's health in November, the couple decided to return to the US for medical treatment unavailable here.

It was during this time that they put the former hotel on the market – but were not aware that it would subsequently be used to house asylum seekers.

'In the end, we planned to sign with a company that intended to lease the property for its own purposes,' Ms Kincaid wrote. 

'It was this company – not us – who was negotiating with the Government for a contract to provide refugee accommodation.'

The mother-of-three, a respected artist, said protesters 'swung into action' after learning about the property's future purpose. 

She said: 'The protesters placed felled trees and a shipping container on the private road shared by us and our few immediate neighbours in order to block any access to our property.

'They also used concrete blocks and boulders to add to the obstruction, as well as cutting through the cattle guard at the entrance of our property to further limit access. 

'The police are still investigating who then lit the property on fire, but it seems most likely it was a group of people sharing similar sentiments as these protesters. 

'It took two 200m length of hose for the firemen to be able to reach the fire.

'It's my understanding that they didn't get past the shipping container, which is a quarter mile from where the fire was.'

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

'Someone set fire to our home, leaving our family with nothing but the charred remnants of our cherished memories,' Ms Kincaid said. 

'We were living in a small cottage on the property and the hotel served as a place for our family to store everything we brought with us from America, which has since been reduced to rubble and ash.

'The only thing left standing... was a statue of an angel I had bought from a Mexican sculptor who works with concrete, which doesn't burn.

'There was misinformation and disinformation circulated throughout social media and news agencies that described our property as an abandoned hotel – an empty building that was burned to the ground – and we as 'greedy Americans/Jewish globalists' profited off of polluting the rural countryside of Connemara.'

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

Ms Kincaid added: 'Following the public outcry and arson, Arden received hundreds of threatening messages online... It's been shocking and hurtful to see this kind of hate directed at us and humiliating to be accused of being traitors. 

'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.