Baby among 10 deaths in blaze at traveller site near Dublin

At least ten people, including four children and a five-month-old baby, have been killed in a fire at a traveller site south of Dublin. Six fire crews and three ambulances were sent to the scene at Carrickmines at about 4am on Saturday. Dublin Fire Brigade tweeted that there were “a number of fatalities on scene” and that two adults and two children had been taken to hospital. One of these youngsters, aged just five months, later died, a Garda spokesman said. Sinn Féin councillor Chris Curran said a “well-known and well-liked” family was involved.

This family were well-respected in the community. The children and family were well integrated and had friends outside the traveller community

Carrickmines resident

There was nothing to suggest that the fire was suspicious. There were three generations of the family living on the site, including young grandchildren, it was understood. Mr Curran said: “It certainly seems that the poor family in this case that has been affected have been living in this area for a very long time, certainly in my knowledge probably at least twenty [years]. An awful lot of people would have known them. They would have been well-liked and well-known.” Ireland’s President Michael D Higgins said he was shocked and saddened to learn of the deaths, adding: “This is a most dreadful tragedy.”

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