Over €20k raised for man who lost his brother and home in fire 

A fire destroyed the home of brothers, Dominic and Oliver Brennan in Jenkinstown in Kilkenny last week.

A community in Kilkenny has rallied to raise over €20,000 in under 24 hours to help an elderly man rebuild his life after a house fire that killed his brother.

Last week, a fire started in the home shared by brothers Dominic, 76, and Oliver, 66, Brennan in Jenkinstown, Co Kilkenny. By lunchtime, the house and all of its contents had perished.

Unfortunately, Oliver could not escape the devastating fire.

Stricken with grief, Dominic has been left to rebuild his life from scratch.

Following the tragedy, his family came together to set up an online fundraiser with the aim of giving him hope and to help him get back on his feet and back to the place he has called home for his entire life.

“The goal is just to get a few pound raised for Dom so we can get his life back on track as quick as possible. So we can get him back to where he’s from, where he came from and where he has lived all his life. He doesn’t want to live anywhere else,” said his nephew, Sean Dowling.

“That’s where the drive came from,” he said.

With the money raised increasing by the hour, the former Kilkenny hurler described the response so far as “unbelievable”.

This afternoon, Mr Dowling informed Dominic that they had raised over €20,000.

“He can’t believe it. To show him the amount of people who donated. He can’t get over the support.” 

Oliver Brennan.

The devastating fire began last Wednesday morning. While unpacking groceries after returning from town, Dominic noticed smoke coming from Oliver's bedroom door.

However, with the time it took him to try and get some water to help tackle the flames, he could not get back into the room due to the severity of the blaze.

The house was completely destroyed with just Dominic and his dog barely making it out alive.

While devastated by the loss of his brother, Dominic’s family want to help him get back on his feet.

“We’re trying to give him hope,” said Sean’s wife, Donna Dowling.

“We have a dream for Dom now that maybe we could buy him a mobile home and get him back on the site as quick as we can. 

"So that he can be back where he needs to be and try to adjust his life again.” 

To donate to the fundraiser, visit gofundme.com.