Bravery of neighbours saved sister
in Balla fire tragedy
17 Jul 1996
Neighbours who pulled a woman from a smoked filled house were commended for their bravery at an inquest in Castlebar.
The hearing was told how one of two elderly sisters was saved in a fire which was caused by an electric heater.
However, the second sister, 68 year-old Ellen Brennan from Smuttanagh, Balla, died in the fire. Mr Michael J. Egan, coroner for West Mayo returned a verdict in accordance with the medical evidence that death was due to burning. Dr Jim Broderick said he attended Ellen Brennan on December 13 for a bronchial problem.
When he left her she was sitting in the kitchen in front of an electric heater which was about three feet from her and turned on.
Mrs Bernie Roughneen, a neighbour of the Brennan's said on December 13 Ellen Brennan phoned her to ring for a prescription from the doctor for her.
She and her husband called to the Brennan house in the middle of the day and discovered smoke coming from the back door.
They got into the house and saw Bridget Brennan was lying in bed. She had to break a window to get into the other room but could not find Ellen She also tried to get into the kitchen which was full with smoke. She tried the back door but could not push it in. She discovered she was unable to push the door back because Ellen's body was behind it. Mrs. Roughneen said she and her husband got Bridget out of the house.
The fire and ambulance services along with the Gardai had arrived on the scene by then and Ellen's' badly burned body was recovered.
Garda Christy McGrath who arrived on the scene said the kitchen was filled with smoke and the body had to be recovered by the fire brigade.
Dr Sean Maguire, who carried out the post-mortem, said the deceased died form multiple burns from coming in contact with an electric heater which she was sitting beside in the kitchen.
Coroner, Mr Egan, said the Roughneen's were to be commended for their
bravery and almost certainly saved the life of the other sister.
Inspector Jerry Henry also paid tribute to Mrs Roughneen for her quickness
of thought which probably saved Bridget Brennan from death in the house.
Connaught Telegraph - News - July 1996
Connaught Telegraph - Sport - July 1996
