Sensational publicity about a man arrested and charged over a hostel fire in Australia that killed 15 young backpackers - including Limerick woman Julie O'Keeffe - created “universal revulsion” and poisoned any chance he had of a fair trial, his lawyer told an appeal court Tuesday.

THE family of an Irish girl who perished in a fire in Australia two years ago attended a memorial service at the scene this weekend.

Mourners from six countries gathered today in a small, rural Australian town to dedicate a memorial for 15 backpackers who perished in a hostel fire there two years ago.

A MOTHER and daughter on holiday in Australia escaped unharmed from a 13-hour night-time ordeal in an Outback forest after they were abducted

Three people have been killed in a fire at a boarding house in Brisbane that police believe was started deliberately.

Families of the victims of an arson attack on an Australian hostel, which claimed 15 lives two years ago, are considering legal action against its managers for alleged negligence.

A memorial to the 15 travellers, including an Irish woman, killed when an arsonist set fire to a hostel in Australia is to be opened in October.

A drifter who started a blaze that ripped through an Australian backpackers’ hostel, killing 15 young holidaymakers, including a Limerick woman, was today sentenced to life imprisonment.

Robert Long, who was found guilty today of murder and arson by a jury in Brisbane, Australia, made little attempt to conceal his growing hatred of backpackers in the weeks leading up to the fire at a crowded Australian hostel that killed 15 young travellers.

A homeless fruit picker was today convicted of murder and arson for starting a blaze that tore through an Australian backpackers’ hostel killing 15 young travellers, including young Limerick woman Julie O'Keeffe.

A jury in Australia has entered a second day of deliberations in the trial of a homeless fruit-picker accused of starting a fire that killed 15 young backpackers, including Limerick woman Julie O'Keeffe and seven British people.

A jury today began considering its verdict in the trial of a drifter charged with starting an Australian hostel fire that killed 15 young backpackers, including seven Britons and an Irish woman.

Fire alarms at a backpackers’ hostel in Australia were switched off by one of the managers just weeks before a fire tore through the building, killing 15 young travellers, including Limerick woman Julie O'Keeffe, 24, a court heard.

Prosecutors today built a compelling case against an itinerant fruit picker charged with starting a fire at an Australian hostel that killed 15 young travellers, including a girl from Limerick.

A fruit picker who allegedly started a fire at a Australian hostel that killed 15 travellers, including an Irish girl, had ‘‘expressed antagonism to backpackers in general’’ before the blaze, a prosecutor said today.

A homeless fruit picker today pleaded not guilty to murder and arson charges linked to a devastating blaze that ripped through an Australian backpackers’ hostel, killing 15 tourists nearly two years ago.

A 38-year-old drifter accused of setting fire to the Australian backpackers’ hostel in which Limerick girl Julie O'Keeffe perished, is due to go on trial on Monday.

The murder trial of the man accused of starting a fire at an Australian backpacker hostel that killed 15 young travellers, including Limerick woman Julie O'Keeffe, has been postponed to February 18.

The man accused of starting a fatal fire at an Australian youth hostel will face trial in January, a court has ruled.

The trial of a fruit picker accused of deliberately starting a fire in Australian backpackers hostel which killed 15 travellers, including six Britons, has been postponed.

A memorial service has been carried out at the site of the hostel fire that killed an Irish back packer in Australia last year.

An Australian magistrate has ruled that there is enough evidence against the man charged with a hostel fire that killed 15 backpackers, including Limerick woman Julie O'Keeffe, for him to stand trial for murder and arson.

A fruit picker accused of starting the hostel fire that killed 15 young backpackers confessed to the crime, claims an Australian police officer.

A fire alarm at a backpackers' hostel had been switched off the night as flames swept through the building, killing 15 young travellers, a court has been told.

Lawyers for the drifter accused of murder and arson following the Australian hostel fire that killed 15 young backpackers say he allegedly confessed to police that he started the blaze.

The magistrate who expressed sympathy with the families of the victims of the Australian hostel blaze has been cleared to continue hearing the case against a man accused of murder and arson.

A fruit-picker charged with murder after 15 backpackers died in a hostel blaze has appeared in court in Australia.