Woman’s death in house fire stuns village

THE death of a woman in a fire at her home has stunned the village of Crosshaven in Cork harbour.

Residents of the village awoke to news of the tragedy which took the life of Kathleen Murphy, a widow believed to be in her early 70s.

She lived alone in the house at Middle Road where fire services were called to a blaze at around 5am.

Crews from Crosshaven and Carrigaline responded promptly, but part of the house collapsed and it was around 11am before Ms Murphy’s remains were removed and identified.

“We had 11.30am Mass and people were just standing around in shocked silence, they couldn’t believe it. She was very well-known and very liked, and her brother died only late last year,” said Crosshaven parish priest Fr Patrick Stevenson.

The cause of the fire is the subject of an investigation by fire officers and a forensic examination of the scene began yesterday. However, it is not being treated as suspicious and is believed to have started in a downstairs front room of the house where Ms Murphy is thought to have been sleeping.

She is survived by daughters, Eileen, Eleanor and Janette, and her sons Frank and Eamon.

Fr Stevenson said the family was shattered and they were finding it difficult to come to terms with what had happened.

A postmortem examination will take place today or tomorrow and her removal and funeral arrangements were still being finalised last night.

Fr Stevenson also paid tribute to the efforts of the fire crews who had done their best at the scene, very near the local Catholic church.

“These volunteers were still there after midday, damping down the fire, after leaving their homes and their families in the middle of the night. We should all appreciate these services more than we do,” he said.

Meanwhile, an investigation is under way in south Co Galway after a man died in a house fire yesterday morning.

The man, in his late 40s, lost his life when fire engulfed a house at Abbey, Loughrea.

Two other people who were in the house at the time managed to escape and raised the alarm around 9am yesterday morning.

Fire crews from Portumna and Loughrea rushed to the scene and brought the fire in the house at Cregg, Abbey, under control.

The body of the deceased man was taken to University Hospital Galway for a postmortem examination.

The two people who were in the house were taken to the same hospital in Galway city where they were treated for smoke inhalation.

Gardaí in Loughrea (091-842870) have appealed for witnesses.