Farmer dead after fire

AN 89-YEAR-OLD retired farmer was found dead after a house fire on the Erris Peninsula near Belmullet, Co Mayo, yesterday

He was named locally as Michael McAndrew from Gortmelia, Inver.

The alarm was raised at about 10am by a neighbouring farmer who saw the window blinds on the victim’s house were blackened by smoke.

Mr McAndrew’s body was later recovered from the house by gardaí and fire brigade personnel.

The remains were taken to Mayo General Hospital in Castlebar where a postmortem was to be held later.

The victim, who lived alone, was an uncle of country and western singer Michael Togher.

The house was preserved for a technical examination by gardaí.