Man (84) dies after house fire in Dundalk, Co Louth

A man who died in a fire in his home early on Saturday morning was named locally as Sean McGee who was 84.

Tributes were paid to Mr McGee, a local historian, a skilled stone mason and a grandfather.

One of his children, an adult son, was also in the bungalow when the fire began, and being treated in Our Lady of Lourdes hospital for smoke inhalation.

Gardaí were examining the bungalow to try and establish the cause of the fire but a Garda spokesperson said “it is not being treated as suspicious at this time.”

Study will guide Harris over ban of private patients in public hospitals

---

Famous Che Guevara image features on new An Post stamp

---

Integrity was hallmark of Liam Cosgrave’s life, mourners told

---

Minister welcomes significant drop in prisoner numbers

---

The bungalow is in Donaghmore, close to the Grey Acres road in Dundalk and a short drive from the M1 motorway.

Fire crews from Dundalk and Ardee responded and a spokesman for the fire service confirmed that at one stage 18 fire fighters were involved.

The Dundalk based ambulance crew took the younger man to hospital while firefighters searched for his father.

Initial indications are that the fire may have begun in the part of the building where the older man was sleeping.

Part of the roof also collapsed and the scene, and adjoining road, were closed off on Saturday.

Neighbour Seamus Farrell said that Mr McGee “was great for stories,” and said he would recall stories “from a way back.”

He said Mr McGee had been a bus driver in London before returning to Ireland and settling down.

Mr Farrell had seen the emergency services at the house that morning and said that very quickly the flames had taken hold and the blaze “was up through the roof in a couple of minutes.”

The alarm was raised just before 7am and by lunchtime gardai had confirmed that there was a fatality.

Louth county councillor Tomás Sharkey, who knew Mr McGee, said it was "very sad news just for the whole local area".

“This parish of Kilkerley has lost an absolute gentlemen, we have lost a gentleman who with his family was embedded in the community for a long time.”

He said the deceased “was a talented and crafted stone mason, and he has done a lot of work in local houses for local families all down the generations.”

He alsosaid he was in was very interested in local history and was in the process of writing a book on the history of Kilkerley parish.