Two firemen who died attending a fire on the night of 20 May 1891 have been memorialised by a Dublin City Council Commemorative Plaque at 30 Westmoreland Street, now CCT College.
The plaque was unveiled by Lord Mayor Caroline Conroy and Chief Fire Officer Dennis Keeley on 19 May 2023.
In 1891, Graham’s chemist occupied the first two floors of the building, with Lafayette’s photographers on the next two, and living accommodation on the fifth floor. At approximately 2 a.m. on 20 May 1891 a fire was discovered on the third floor. There were four occupants on the fifth floor, two of whom managed to escape to the street and raise the alarm but two women were trapped on the fifth floor.
During the fire service response Inspector Christopher Doherty, 25 years’ service in Dublin Fire Brigade, holder of three chevrons for bravery for saving life on previous occasions, and Fireman Peter Bourke, three months’ service in Dublin Fire Brigade, paid the ultimate price in their role as firefighters and lost their lives here while saving the life of a civilian.