A MAN has died in a fire at a mobile home in Timahoe, Co Laois.
The man, named locally as Martin Murray (41), was originally from the UK but had been living in Garryglass, Timahoe, for a number of years.
Mr Murray’s body was discovered in the mobile home when emergency services arrived at the scene at about 4am. He was taken to Midland Regional Hospital at Portlaoise, where a postmortem was due to be carried out.
The blaze occurred “some time during the night in the early hours”, according to Garda Supt Philip Lyons. “We are carrying out a technical examination of the scene at the moment and there are no suspicions attached at the moment.”
Supt Lyons said the scene of the blaze had been cordoned off and an investigation into the cause of the fire was ongoing. The mobile home was destroyed.
Mr Murray had been employed in the construction industry in Ireland. It is understood he was separated from his partner and had a child in the UK.
His sister was married to Michael Delaney, a farmer from Timahoe, who died from an illness just three weeks ago.
Local Fine Gael councillor James Daly said the community was “shocked” by Mr Murray’s death.
He added that Mr Murray was a quiet man who was well liked by those who knew him in the area.
“I would like to express my sympathy to both the Murray family and the Delaneys. I’m shocked at how tragic it is coming so close to his brother-in-law’s bereavement,” Mr Daly said.