Fire at city counselling centre described as major blow

The blaze broke out at the centre on the grounds of Merlin Park Hospital just after 2a.m and four units of the fire brigade attended the scene.

Fire crews spent three hours battling the blaze before bringing it under control just before 5.30 this morning.

No-one was in the building at the time.

Gardaí are now investigating the cause of the fire.

Joe Treacy, an addiction counsellor at the centre says it's a huge loss for Galway.