Devastating fire guts former Beamish home

A GEORGIAN country house in Timoleague, which was over 219 years old, and formerly the seat of the Beamish brewing family, was burned to the ground following a devastating fire, leaving its owners homeless.

The alarm was raised at 11pm last Wednesday night and a fire crew from Clonakilty were first on the scene at Kilmaloda House. They were followed by crews from Bandon and Bantry and tankers were brought from both towns due to insufficient water in the area. Two occupants in the house, French nationals, managed to escape and avoid serious injury. They were later taken to CUH and treated for smoke inhalation, where one remains. 

It is understood that they lost everything in the fire which gutted their home, leaving them homeless. Bandon Fire Station officer John O’Connell told The Southern Star that crews worked throughout the night and into the morning to put out the fire and confirmed that the house has been completely gutted.

It is understood that the house which had a guide price at €750,000 in 2013 was bought by the French family who had been living there since. Kilmaloda House, owned by Sampson Beamish of the brewing family in the 1900s, and is at the centre of a large estate, is on the Department of Housing’s national inventory of architectural heritage as a fine example of Georgian architecture. 

As well as extensive land, the house had seven bedrooms and three bathrooms. Previous owners include the Burnett family of the London White Satin gin dynasty, as well as Royal Navy Commander Charles Sheridan Moseley.