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

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.

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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.