Party ends in tragedy as fire kills siblings

A TIPPERARY village’s All Ireland hurling celebrations turned to tragedy when fire swept through the home of a well-known brother and sister, an inquest heard yesterday.

Mattie Joe Gleeson, 67, perished in the blaze which gutted the home he shared with his sister and full-time carer, Mary, in Ballinahroch, Killnoscully, in the early hours of Sunday, October 17 last. Just hours earlier, Mary, 65, and hundreds of neighbours had been celebrating the arrival of the Liam McCarthy Cup in the village following Tipperary’s win over Kilkenny in the All Ireland hurling final a few weeks earlier.

An inquest into Mr Gleeson’s death was previously heard in Tipperary.