Tributes paid to 'gentle giant' who died in Cork City house fire

Mary Crilly, of the Cork Sexual Violence Centre, knew Peter Lyall well, describing him as 'a gorgeous person'

Peter Lyall died after fire ripped through the terraced home he shared with his partner, Anna, in the Ardcullen area of Hollyhill.

Tributes have been paid to the man who died in a house fire in Cork City on Monday.

The deceased, named locally as Peter Lyall, aged 62, was described as a “gentleman, and a gentle giant”.

Well known from his time as master brewer at The Franciscan Well bar and brewery in the city, he also helped found the underage section of Fr Mathew’s Basketball club.

He died after fire ripped through the terraced home he shared with his partner, Anna, in the Ardcullen area of Hollyhill, on the city’s northside. She escaped from the blaze.

Shane Long, who founded The Franciscan Well bar and brewery, hired Mr Lyall as a glass collector 28 years ago, and watched him rise to become master brewer.

“If you had to have a photograph in the dictionary to define the word 'gentleman', it would be a photo of Peter,” he said.

He was a quiet man, he kept his own counsel, but he helped so many people over the years, and the only person that ever heard about it was the person he helped. He was just that type of person.

“When he started with us, I thought he might last a few weeks but he was with us for 28 years. He was just so loyal.” 

Mary Crilly, of the Cork Sexual Violence Centre, knew Mr Lyall well too.

“He was a gorgeous person. I was mad about him. We moved in (close to the bar) around 10 years ago and we were renovating a house there and I got to know him fairly early," she said.

“Because if I needed someone to lift something, Peter would be there. He was just lovely.

“The Well would have done a bit of fundraising for the Sexual Violence Centre and anything we wanted Peter was behind us. He was very special.”

The alarm was raised at around 12.42am on Monday and three units of Cork City Fire Brigade rushed to the scene. The house was well ablaze when they arrived, with flames and thick black smoke pouring from the property.

Neighbours comforted the woman who escaped from the house, as firefighters tackled the blaze. A team of firefighters wearing breathing apparatus entered the burning house and found Mr Lyall unconscious in an upstairs bedroom.

They brought him outside and began resuscitation, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. The fire was brought under control quickly.

The woman was removed to Cork University Hospital (CUH) for treatment for the effects of smoke inhalation, and for shock. The occupant of an adjoining house was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation.

Mr Lyall’s remains were removed to CUH to undergo a post mortem examination, and the house was sealed off for a garda forensic examination, with initial indications suggesting the fire started accidentally.

Meanwhile, gardaí in Cork have appealed for witnesses after a man in his late teens was killed when the car he was driving was in collision with a truck on the N71 road between Ballinhassig and Innishannon in Cork at around 7.15am on Monday.

Anyone travelling in the area between 7am and 7.30am, and who has dash-cam footage, should contact Bandon Garda Station on [phone].