Donegal jersey unscathed as devastating fire destroys family home

A signed Donegal GAA jersey was all that remained when a County Meath family lost their home in a devastating fire. Conal Quinn, a native of Inishowen, and his wife Evelyn, saw their Ashbourne home gutted by a blaze on Monday night. Precious memories went up in flames, but in one room of the house that miraculously escaped the inferno, a framed Donegal jersey survived. The shirt is signed by the Donegal squad that reached the 2014 All-Ireland final. Jim McGuinness’ side were Ulster champions that summer. “The family have strong Donegal connections and the only thing unscathed was the framed Donegal jersey,” said Ashbourne-based Independent County Councillor Joe Bonner. “They were very lucky. The fire service was great and it was fortunate that there was nobody injured.” Councillor Bonner himself is a native of Glenties in Donegal - the home town of McGuinness. His nephews Anthony Thompson and Leon Thompsons were both members of the 2014 squad while another of the Thompsons, Ciaran, is a member of the current Donegal panel. Councillor Bonner has, with the Quinn family’s permission, launched a fundraising drive to help get their beloved home back. You can help with a donation by clicking here. “The fire destroyed their home and many of their personal belongings,” he said. “Sadly, the family did not have insurance cover and are now facing the overwhelming challenge of rebuilding their lives, replacing essential items, and finding stability after this heartbreaking event.” Councillor Bonner has set up a GoFundMe to help with urgent and essential works, replacing necessary items, and supporting them as they try to put the pieces together. Councillor Bonner, who has been living in the area for over 20 years, said: “The local community has really rallied around, but now we need to step back and see what is needed. “The family are in shock and they will take a while to realise the devastating loss. It will take a lot of money to get them back on track again.” “Any donation, no matter how small, will make a meaningful difference.” The Donegal shirt, still wrapped in protective plastic, that managed to survive the blaze, was purchased by the Quinns at an auction in Ashbourne. “There wasn’t even the smell of smoke off it,” Councillor Quinn says. “I couldn’t believe it. I went down to see the damage and Conal said to me: ‘Jesus you wouldn’t believe this’.”