A RETIRED groundsman who died in a fire at Gonzaga College in Dublin early yesterday had given "a lifelong service" to the school, the Gonzaga Jesuit community's rector, Father John Dunne, said.
Mr Frank Lonergan (65), from Ballina, Co Mayo, died when the fire engulfed part of the Jesuit residence in the school grounds.
Four units of Dublin Fire Brigade fought the blaze, which was reported at about 4 a.m. yesterday.
The scene was being examined by Garda technical experts yesterday, but foul play was not suspected, a spokesman said. The fire is thought to have started in the dressing room on the ground floor. Mr Lonergan lived in an apartment attached to the premises.
Mr Lonergan, who was single, had worked as a maintenance caretaker at the college since the mid 1950s, according to Father Dunne. He retired 18 months ago and continued to live on the grounds.
"He was... very loyal and faithful," Father Dunne said. Many pupils would not have known him, as much of his work was done outside school hours, he said.
