FIREMEN WERE unable to save an elderly man whose body was recovered early yesterday after a blaze destroyed his home in Co Wexford.
Jim O’Neill (83) had lived alone in Tinnecarrig, Newbawn, about 11km (seven miles) outside New Ross town.
New Ross fire station was alerted at 10.09pm on Thursday night and two units responded.
A spokesman for the fire service said the fire at the traditional “two up, two down” cottage, which had a galvanised roof, was “fully involved and well ablaze” when the units arrived at the scene.
They were informed by a neighbour that it was most likely that Mr O’Neill was inside. His presence in the home was later confirmed by gardaí and the fire was eventually extinguished at about 3.30am.
However, the fire service spokesman said that “due to the severity of the fire and the toll it took on the building it was not possible to enter it”, and Mr O’Neill’s body recovered later.
Mr O’Neill was born and reared in the cottage, which was in an isolated area on the slopes of Tinnecarrig rock. He had lived there with his sister Peggy until she died about 10 years ago.