Man held in connection with fatal Kilkenny fire

Detectives are today questioning a man in connection with the deaths of a mother and her two young children in a Christmas Day house fire.

Detectives are today questioning a man over the deaths of a mother and her two young children in a Christmas Day house fire.

Sharon Whelan, 30, and her daughters Zsara, seven, and Nadia, two-and-a-half, died in the blaze at their rented home on a country lane close to the small village of Windgap, Co Kilkenny.

Initially the blaze was being treated as a tragic accident but gardaí confirmed all circumstances surrounding the deaths were being investigated.

Gardaí said the man was arrested late yesterday afternoon.

He is being held under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act at Kilkenny garda station and can be questioned for up to 24 hours.

The fire broke out at around 9am on Christmas morning with neighbours breaking in to try and rescue the family.

The family were laid to rest on New Year’s Day.