Mother beaten back by flames in failed bid to save daughter

A 65-year-old mother battled desperately to rescue her daughter who suffers from multiple sclerosis as their Co Limerick home was engulfed in flames.

Louise Kett, who was in her early 30s, perished in the blaze which gutted the family home at Meanus.

Her mother, Joan Kett, is recovering from smoke inhalation at Limerick’s Mid Western Regional Hospital.

Mrs Kett and a neighbour tried unsuccessfully to rescue Louise from the blaze, but were beaten back by the flames.

Mrs Kett’s husband died over a year ago. They have one other daughter, Deirdre who is living in England and is engaged to be married. She returned home yesterday to be at her mother’s bedside.

The fire happened at around 8.30pm on Thursday. Mrs Kett was outside the house at the time and tried unsuccessfully to get in through the back door but was forced to give up due to the heat of the blaze.

A neighbour who rushed to the scene was also unable to get into the building.

Another neighbour John Bateman said: “It is a terrible tragedy. Louise was tragically lost in the blaze. And now her mother is left without her and does not even have a photograph of her as everything was lost in the blaze.”

According to neighbours, Louise was able to move around the house without much difficulty and took a walking aid with her when she went outside.

Garda forensic experts spent most of yesterday at the scene and took away samples of burned debris for further analysis.

The upstairs floor collapsed in the fire and Louise’s body was found on the ground floor.

Supt Eddie MacEoin said the fire took hold very quickly. “We do not yet know whether the dead lady was upstairs or downstairs when the fire broke out,” he said.