💾 Archived View for eir.mooo.com › nuacht › lui17344409951.gmi captured on 2024-12-17 at 11:01:36. Gemini links have been rewritten to link to archived content
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Abigail Hayden, 17 Dec
A COUNTY Limerick community have been left devasted by the tragic death
of one of their respected residents who lost his life in a house fire
along with his father.
The two men, named locally as John Lee, 50s, and his father Stephen
Lee, 80s, died after a blaze broke out at a two-storey property in
Littleton, near Thurles, at around 2.30am on Monday.
John Lee had settled down in Cromhill, outside Kilteely in County
Limerick, with his wife Mary and his two children, who attend school in
Hospital.
Former mayor of Limerick, Gerald Mitchell, who is also a former
councillor, said he had been "good friends" with John, as they lived in
a "close-knit" rural area and John had lived "only up the road" from Mr
Mitchell.
John had been spending the night at his father's house in Littleton,
near Thurles, on Sunday night to care for him, as he did regularly, Mr
Mitchell explained, when the fire broke out at approximately 2:30am on
Monday.
He described John as "a private, but a very respectable man".
READ MORE: Limerick City and County Council welcomes applications for
2025 Economic and Social Intervention Fund
 "All my thoughts and prayers are with his family," Mr Mitchell said.
"I'd like to extend my sincere and genuine deepest condolences to his
family, his children, and to the extended family and relations, on
behalf of the local community and the wider community," said Mr
Mitchell, an auctioneer.
"It's a tragic time," he added.
 The family had settled in Cromhill over a decade ago, and Mr Mitchell
said they were a "well-respected" family who "were well-liked and nice
people".
Mr Mitchell and other neighbours called to the family home in Limerick
on Monday evening to offer condolences to the family.
"It was misfortunate the time of year it happened, and under such
tragic circumstances," Mr Mitchell added.
"The local community here are close knit and his close neighbours are
very saddened and upset with this untimely and sudden tragedy."
He said that the local community "will support (the family) as much as
possible in their tragedy".
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined - the investigation
by gardaà and emergency services is still underway - but it is believed
the blaze started accidentally.