Fire victims’ funerals take place today

THE 22-year-old woman who lost her husband and two young daughters after a fire gutted the family home will attend their funerals this morning.

Teresa, aged three, and 18-month-old Natasha died after flames engulfed their home in the Castle Ross Estate in Dundalk, Co Louth, on Saturday morning.

Michelle Walls’ husband Eddie, who celebrated his 39th birthday on Saturday, also died in the blaze. The three will be buried after 11am Mass at the Church of the Holy

Redeemer in Dundalk.

Flowers and children’s toys lined the garden of the blackened house yesterday as neighbours and friends struggled to come to terms with the tragedy.

Yvonne Goss, who lives opposite the Walls’ house and is a second cousin of Michelle, was one of the first on the scene shortly after 1.30am.

“It was Eddie’s birthday and he and Michelle had been to the christening of their next door neighbour’s baby. I was at home playing upstairs on the computer and I heard a commotion outside. I

assumed it was someone having a fight then I looked out and saw the fire in their living room and heard people outside screaming.

“My boyfriend Gavin was asleep on the couch downstairs but he jumped up and ran around to the back of the house and jumped the wall to get in to help. He was joined by a garda and a Nigerian man, who had also been at the christening.

“It took the three of them to smash in the back door but they could get no further than the downstairs hall because of the heat. The garda ushered them back outside. The whole place went up so quickly.

“Then the Nigerian man put a ladder on top of the wheelie bin and climbed up and smashed an the upstairs window with his fist. He was burned by the backdraft. The garda pulled him back down the ladder to safety. He risked his life and did everything he could to save the family,” she said.

Another resident broke his ankle and sustained other injuries as he tried in vain to break down the front door, said the neighbour.

“The children slept to the front of the house and Michelle had managed to get the window open in the baby’s room and was screaming for help. A man stood on their silver Astra just under the window and roared at the woman to jump.

“I don’t know how she’ll ever come to terms with this. She has lost everything,” said Yvonne Goss.