The remains of Thelma (5) and Michael (2) Dennany who died after a car fire in Co Westmeath have been released to their family for burial as their mother, Lynn Egar, was still being treated in hospital for injuries sustained in the blaze.
Garda Commissioner Drew Harris has confirmed the investigation into the fatal fire last Friday is criminal in nature. He has appealed for anyone who was driving in the area of Lacken, between Coole and Multyfarnham, from 2pm to 3.40pm to come forward and report anything suspicious to gardaí or to provide dashcam footage.
“This is now a crime investigation, we’re investigating this as suspicious circumstances around these deaths and we’re regarding it now as a crime investigation,” Mr Harris said while speaking in Galway on Monday.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin has extended his sympathies to the family of the two children. “We’re all deeply conscious of the terrible tragedy that happened at nearby Multyfarnham with the two young children [who] passed away in the most tragic of circumstances,” he said ahead of a Fianna Fáil think-in meeting in Mullingar.
“To their family, their mother and their classmates, their teachers, we extend our deepest sympathies at this very, very traumatic time for the entire community.”
Multyfarnham-based priest Fr John O’Brien has described the “overwhelming feeling of sadness and disbelief” in the area, where about 500 people took part in a vigil on Sunday evening. At St Cremin’s National School, where Thelma was a pupil, a memorial to the two children has been set up.
The fire, which is being treated as suspected arson, had engulfed the car when a truck driver happened across the scene and tried to rescue the mother and two children inside last Friday afternoon.
Ms Eagar, who has two other children of secondary school age, was airlifted from the scene to a hospital in Dublin, where her injuries were described as serious but not life threatening. It is unclear when she might be alert enough to be spoken to by gardaí, who are hopeful she can provide information about how the car came to be engulfed by flames.
Michael was also taken from the vehicle but while he was rushed to Regional Midland Hospital Mullingar, efforts to save him were not successful and he was pronounced dead at the hospital on Friday. The remains of Thelma were found in the vehicle when the blaze was brought under control.
Postmortems on the remains of the children were carried out by State Pathologist Sally Ann Collins on Saturday in Regional Midland Hospital Tullamore. While it was unclear when the children’s funerals would take place, sources confirmed the remains had been released.
Ms Egar is originally from Co Kildare and had lived in Longford for years before moving to Westmeath after the birth of Michael.
The scene where the car, which had not crashed, went on fire has undergone examination by the Garda Technical Bureau, members of which also examined the family home last weekend. The vehicle was also taken from the scene to be examined.
The family’s home in Rathowen, Co Westmeath, some 10km from Multyfarnham, was sealed off as part of the inquiry and detectives were trying to piece together the movements of Ms Egar and her two children before the incident.
