Patrick passed away in house fire

THE tragic death of an elderly Rathnure man in a house fire was recalled at an inquest conducted by Coroner for Wexford Dr. Sean Nixon.

Patrick Brennan, Grange Lane, Corrageen, Rathnure died from carbon monoxide poisoning when his house went on fire on February 3 this year. He was 77 years old.

Garda Brian Kinsella of Enniscorthy Garda Station told the inquest that he received a report of a house fire in Grange Lower at 5.25 pm and arrived at the scene at 5.50 pm to find fire engines already there and the fire almost extinguished. There was a lot of smoke and the house was very badly damaged.

He went into the house and saw the badly burned body of Mr. Brennan curled up on the floor near a window in the sitting room.

The chief fire officer was at the scene and did not see anything suspicious, according to the garda, adding that a forensic examination was carried out on the house.

James Nolan of Askinvillar, Kiltealy, a blocklayer who was working on a house across the road from Mr. Brennan’s home said he could see smoke rising but didn’t take any notice as Mr. Brennan lit his fire around the same time every evening. After a few minutes, he changed position and saw flames coming from the kitchen window.

Mr. Nolan jumped down from the scaffolding and rang Shane Moran, the owner of the house he was working on and also rang the fire brigade. He then ran across the road and found the door of the burning house slightly open. He called out but there was no response. He pushed in the door and was met by smoke and flames. A gas cylinder went off and the roof became engulfed in flames. A second cylinder seemed to go off and the roof caved in.

Mr. Brennan’s neighbour Bridget Brennan, who was the last person so see him, said she had known Pat all her life. He lived alone since his mother died in 1963. She collected his pension and did shopping for him. On the day of the fire, she had gone to Enniscorthy to collect groceries for him early in the morning and brought them to him at 10.30 am.

He asked her to fill a couple of barrells of sticks for him which she did.

Later that evening, a neighbour rang her to tell her Pat’s house was on fire.

Mr. Brennan’s first cousin Larry Cahill said Pat used to go to Mass but had stopped going because he was unsteady on his feet. he went to visit him about six months earlier but he wouldn’t let him in.

Dr. Robert Landers, consultant pathologist who carried out a post mortem examination on the body said a blood sample showed a 59% carbon monoxide level which is fatal. No alcohol was detected.

He said death was due to carbon monoxide poisoning with an underlying contibutory factor being ischaemic heart disease.

The Coroner Dr. Nixon commended James Nolan for his ‘ heroic efforts’ in trying to get into the house.

He said Pat had an open fire and the blaze would have spread quickly due to the presence of a large number of newspapers in the room.

Dr. Nixon extended his condolences to Larry Cahill and Pat’s other cousins and extended family.

He said that Bridget Brenan was obviously a very good neighbour.

Superintendent James Doyle said he knew Pat some years ago as he lived nearby and he expressed sympathy to his family on the tragedy. He said Pat was fortunate in his life to have great neighbours. The jury foreman Dan Redmond also extended sympathy.