'People have been incredible': Son of man who died in blaze thanks locals for their support

David Lynch speaks of the 'waking nightmare' of arriving back from Christmas shopping to discover the fire engines he had heard were at his father's home dealing with the fatal fire

David Lynch with a photo of his parents Noirín, who predeceased her husband in 2016, and John. It is one of the few items David has salvaged from their home in Waterpark, Carrigaline, Cork, after the fire which claimed Sean's life just before Christmas. Picture: David Creedon

Just an hour and a half after David Lynch left his father Sean at home finishing dessert after dinner, he returned to find the house engulfed in flames and his father tragically deceased.

David had heard the alarm of the fire brigade as he finished shopping for their Christmas dinner in a nearby supermarket on December 23 and hoped that it wasn’t going anywhere near their home.

He described the chaos that met him as he returned home to The Court, in Waterpark, Carrigaline, at about 9pm as a “waking nightmare.” 

I was almost numb and in shock. I kept trying to contact Dad to make sure he had gotten out before the blaze took hold but the phone wasn’t connecting. 

Sean Lynch, also known as John, was 86 when he died after the fire broke out at his semi-detached home on December 23.

The alarm was raised by neighbours and four units of the city and county fire service responded and prevented the fire from spreading to the adjoining house.

Sean was pronounced dead at the scene. His body was recovered from a downstairs sitting room.

A technical examination determined that the fire started accidentally in a downstairs room.

More than €19,000 has been raised online by neighbours and friends for David, 40, after he lost everything — his family, his home, his belongings — just before Christmas.

David, a software developer and only child, came back from Dublin to care for his dad after his mum Noirín passed away in 2016.

One of the photos of the late Noirín and Sean Lynch that their son, David Lynch, was able to salvage after Sean lost his life in the fire in Waterpark, Carrigaline, Cork. Picture: David Creedon

“My dad was quite depressed when my mum passed away," he said.

But David's care and getting the little Shih Tzu/Bichon Frisé dog called Romeo, who is also understood to have died in the fire, helped Sean through a very difficult time.

“He had a lovely temperament and was very good with Dad. He gave my dad a routine, a daily purpose, and he’d walk him four to five times a day.

“One of the firemen on the night mentioned that the heat from a fire can blow out the windows and animals can then make it out, there was a sliver of hope that Romeo had made it out and run away in fright. 

"If he had survived it would have been a connection to hold onto with my Dad but I don’t think it’s likely.

I want to emphasise how grateful I am for the emergency services on the night. They couldn’t save dad but they contained the blaze and made sure that it was not an even bigger tragedy before Christmas. 

"I also want to say thanks to the community for their support. People I wouldn’t have really known before have been incredible, everyone has offered to help in their own way.

“Some very kind neighbours took me in over Christmas, they knew my parents and babysat me when I was a child, it was nice to spend time with them and share some memories."

The house was badly gutted in the fire and David is renting an apartment from neighbours as he waits to hear if the house can be saved.

Following an appeal on Cork’s Red FM, John O’Brien and Co Structural Engineering Kilworth have offered to carry out a structural engineer assessment free of charge.

David is still hoping someone will come forward with a skip and potentially scaffolding down the road.

There is extensive damage. I would be hopeful that the house can be saved but I really don't know if it can be.

“The first step is the engineering assessment. We need to find out if the house can be saved or not.”

Speaking to Neil Prendeville on Cork's Red FM, David said that he had gone Christmas shopping with his father earlier that day before the fire broke out.

“When we got home I made him dinner, I was leaving him by the fireplace at about 7.30pm, I went over to get a few more bits and pieces in Lidl and Dunnes in the village.

“I left him by the fireplace, his dog Romeo was by his feet, he was just finishing desert and I said I wouldn’t be long.

“When I was over in Dunnes I heard the siren from the fire station beside the supermarket and I was hoping in the back of my mind that they were not going anywhere near our place. 

David Lynch at the wreckage of his late father's home in Carrigaline. As well as mourning the loss of his father, David is faced with practical challenges as the house was uninsured. Picture: David Creedon

"When I was driving back then into the estate I saw all the commotion.

“It was a waking nightmare. I couldn’t quite comprehend it. 

“I can only guess something came out of the fire, maybe my dad had gone for a nap.

“It makes you realise how quickly things can change, like the flick of a switch, how quickly things can turn around.” 

The Lynchs did not have house insurance and almost everything in the house has been destroyed.

The late Sean (John) Lynch who died in the house fire before Christmas. David said: '[the emergency services] couldn’t save dad but they contained the blaze and made sure that it was not an even bigger tragedy before Christmas.'

However, David did find a few precious photos that survived.

“I sifted through some of the debris and found some photos in a photo album — most of it was damaged but in the centre some I could salvage so that was something to treasure and hang on to."

• You can donate to the fundraiser organised by friends of David Lynch at David’s Fund online.