A father of five died in a house fire in east Cork after he went back to the scene to recover personal items.
The fire broke out Tuesday night at the farmhouse of Mr Johnny Leahy (63), of Kilcredan, Ballymacoda, following a suspected electrical fault in an upstairs bedroom.
The farmer, his wife and two daughters all escaped from the fire when the alarm was first raised.
Several other members of the Leahy family were away from the house at the time.
Despite appeals from his family, Mr Leahy went back to battle the flames in what is believed to have been an attempt to retrieve some personal belongings.
The emergency services were quickly on the scene. However, three units of Cork fire brigade were unable to stop the fire from sweeping through the farmhouse, leaving it gutted.
Firefighters discovered the body of the farmer, who appears to had fallen victim to smoke and fumes. Despite efforts of a local doctor and paramedics, Mr Leahy died at the scene.
His body was later removed to Cork University Hospital, where a post-mortem was carried out yesterday evening.
The death left the small east Cork community in shock yesterday.
"He was a popular and very easygoing man, and they are a lovely family. Everybody is devastated for them," said a neighbour.
The farmhouse was yesterday the scene of a technical examination as the investigation into the cause of the fire got under way.
It is believed gardaí are not treating the fire as suspicious, and the investigation will focus on the electrical wiring of a heater.
