Garda rescues homeless people from fire in Kilkenny city

Tributes have been paid to a Garda who rescued two homeless people from a disused and historic building that was destroyed by fire in Kilkenny city on Wednesday morning.

The blaze started at about 9.30am at Bridge House – known locally as Dr Mitchell’s House – adjacent to the River Court Hotel on John Street in Kilkenny.

Gardaí­ believe the fire was started maliciously and two people were arrested later in the morning for questioning.

A passer-by noticed smoke coming from the empty section of the building and immediately alerted the emergency services.

Emma Mhic Mhathúna’s ‘ferocious love’ for her children remembered at funeral

---

Combination of sitting and standing ‘may improve job performance’

---

Priest left ‘feeling flat’ after visit of Pope Francis, meeting hears

---

Flanagan criticised over ‘nowhere near enough’ budget funding for Garda reform

---

A garda who went to the scene went into the building and realised there were two people – a man and a woman – asleep and got them out to safety.

Several units of the Kilkenny Fire Service brought the fire under control, but the building itself was completely destroyed.

John Street was closed to traffic and people were urged by gardaí and the fire service to stay away from the area because of the presence of large volumes of smoke, as well as the danger of falling debris caused by the fire.