Gardaí investigate cause of house fire

A WOMAN who was rescued from a fire which claimed the life of her life-long friend survived a previous house fire.

Margaret McCarthy was pulled unconscious from her burning home in Gurranabraher on Cork’s northside at around 9.45pm on Wednesday night.

Her friend, May Neville, who was visiting her at the time, was overcome by smoke and died.

But it emerged last night that Ms O’Sullivan, a married mother of two grown children, survived another house fire at a previous address in Knocknaheeny.

She moved into number 41 St Enda’s Road while the damaged council house was being repaired but she never moved back.

The fire at St Enda’s Road broke out just before 9.30pm on Wednesday night as both women sat alone inside.

Neighbours saw thick smoke coming from the two-storey terraced home and alerted the fire brigade at 9.31pm.

Gardaí were first on the scene and three members of the force — Garda Peter Kennedy, Garda Donal Golden and student garda John McCarthy — kicked down the door with a daughter of one of the two women.

They found Ms O’Sullivan lying in the hall as the fire raged in the downstairs front room.

They pulled her from the building but were beaten back by thick toxic smoke and flames when they tried to save Ms Neville.

Fire fighters arrived shortly afterwards and entered the house wearing breathing apparatus.

They found Ms Neville, a separated mother of four, lying in the far corner of the front room.

They brought her outside where local doctor, Adrian Murphy, and HSE ambulance crews battled for up to 15 minutes to save her life.

However, she was pronounced dead a short time later. A post mortem was conducted on her body yesterday afternoon.

Ms O’Sullivan was rushed to the Mercy Hospital where she was treated for smoke inhalation.

She was transferred early yesterday to Cork University Hospital where she was said to be in a stable condition in the intensive care unit last night.

Fire fighters brought the blaze under control quickly and the scene was sealed off pending a technical exam.

Forensic experts spent most of yesterday morning shifting through the remains of the house.

Gardaí said the cause of the fire was still under investigation.

However, a fire brigade spokesman said it was unlikely that an electrical fault was to blame.

The two women had been friends for years and neighbours said May would visit Margaret at least once a week.

Local shopkeeper and former city councillor, Con O’Leary, said the tight-knit community was devastated.

“People were just standing around feeling helpless. There is a real morbid feeling around here,” he said.