One man died and his brother was injured trying to rescue him after a fire started in the middle of the afternoon at their family home.
Oliver Brennan, aged in his 60s, was killed when the blaze broke out on Wednesday afternoon at the house in the Jenkinstown Park area of Kilkenny town.
His sibling Dominic discovered the blaze when he returned to the house and was injured attempting to get inside before being forced back by the flames.
He was later treated for smoke inhalation. Gardai are treating the fire as an accident.
Speaking on KCLR96FM, local Fianna Fáil councillor Pat Fitzpatrick and friend of Mr Brennan’s described him as, “a quiet, quiet man, who would love to have a chat.”
Cllr Fitzpatrick said: “I would like to offer sympathy to his brother Dom. He lived with Oliver. I worked alongside him (Oliver) in the box company in the Hebron Industrial Estate. I knew him a long time.”
He explained that Mr Brennan’s brother Dominick returned to the house to an “unfolding scene”.
“Oliver passed away in sad and tragic circumstances. He was from a big family, there were 10 in the family. Dominic was away from the house that morning. I spoke to him on John’s Green myself that morning.
“The pair lived together. It’s a terrible, terrible tragedy. The two lads were always happy to know what was going on and had a big interest in GAA. Poor Oliver is gone to his eternal reward. A nicer man you would not meet”.
The victim is survived by his brothers Peter and Dominic, sisters Breda, Margaret, Alice and Terry. His brothers-in-law Shem, Eamonn, Pat and Martin, sister-in-law Marie and extended family.
He will be laid to rest in Conahy Cemetery following his Requiem Mass at 2.30pm on Sunday.
In a statement, gardai said: "(Officers) attended a fatal fire incident that took place in a domestic residence in the Jenkinstown Park area of Kilkenny Town, Co Kilkenny at approximately 12pm on Wednesday.
“One man was removed by the Fire Department to St Luke’s General Hospital.”
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