Separate house fires claim two lives over weekend

TWO people died in house fires in Co Mayo and Co Monaghan at the weekend.

A 48-year-old man, Thomas Dawson, died in a fire at a house in Springfield Court, Castlebar, Co Mayo, at 8.30am on Saturday.

In Co Monaghan, Ann Donaghy, a 52-year-old woman died in a house fire at Knockmaddy, Ballybay, shortly after noon on the same day.

Gardaí are investigating and both scenes have been preserved for technical examinations.

Meanwhile, sports equipment worth an estimated €10,000 was destroyed in a fire at the Community Sports Field in Aughrim, Co Wicklow, in the early hours of yesterday.

Gear belonging to a number of clubs including the local GAA, soccer and camogie teams was burnt in the fire which gutted an aluminium storage container after starting in a wooden hut nearby.

The fire, which happened about 5am on Sunday, also destroyed a small marquee tent and goal posts, while a small amount of damage was caused to the dressing rooms which had just been upgraded at a cost of €80,000.

The scene was forensically examined by gardaí yesterday, and the fire was not thought to have been started maliciously.