GARDAI are investigating a fatal fire at a house on the campus grounds of the University of Limerick.
An elderly man, in his late 80s/early 90s, and understood to have been an academic, perished in the blaze.
The fire broke out at a house at Kilmurry Village on the UL campus shortly before midnight on Thursday and the man’s body remains at the scene pending further Garda and pathology enquiries.
Fire Service control received the alert at 11:41pm and dispatched four tender units including a high-rise platform, from Limerick City, and from Cappamore, in the county.
Firefighters attached to the Limerick City and County Fire Service spent five hours at the scene, putting out the fire and damping down the scene before returning to their bases after 5am this morning.
Gardaí remain at the scene and are investigating all of the circumstances in relation to what caused the fire.
A Garda spokesman confirmed Gardaí were alerted “at approximately 11:45pm of a report of a fire at a residence in the Kilmurry Village area of Limerick city” and that “a male was subsequently located deceased in the residence”.
“The body remains at the scene. The scene is currently preserved and a technical examination will be conducted today (Friday 21st June 2024),” the Garda spokesman said.
“A post-mortem examination will be arranged and the results of this, along with the findings of the technical examination, will determine the course of the Garda investigation.”
A statement from the university said that “there was a fire at one of UL’s student villages late on Thursday night. Village staff acted immediately after the alarm was raised but a man has sadly passed away.”
“A Garda investigation is underway and UL will be making no further comment at this time.”
A garda source said Gardai had yet to formally identify the victim.
