Peter Paul McSwiney

And much of that whiskey was immature, unaged, pure alcohol, much stronger than what they were used to drinking.

Peter Paul McSwiney, the Lord Mayor, thanked the fire brigade and police for evacuating the buildings so quickly, but lamented the loss of life due to alcohol poisoning.

He said that the deaths of those who drank the fire whiskey would have happened in, quote, any city where there was a tendency to indulge immoderately and drink.

He said, "...in the present case, the unfortunate victims apparently could not restrain themselves, as I understand, from the burning fluid." There is a happy ending, though.