A COUNTY Limerick community is in shock this Tuesday at the news of the tragic death of a loving son and his elderly father.
John Lee, who lived at the bottom of Cromhill in Hospital, County Limerick, was staying with his elderly father, Stephen Lee, when a fire broke out at the elderly man’s home in Littleton, near Thurles, County Tippery, at around 2.30am on this Tuesday morning.
John, a father of two in his 50s, was taking his turn at staying the night in Littleton to look after his elderly father, who was in his 80s and suffered from Alzheimers.
The bodies of the father and son pair were found at the scene on McDonagh Terrace in the village this morning.
Former Limerick mayor and Fine Gael councillor for the area, Ger Mitchell, told the Limerick Post that the elderly man’s close family took turns in spending the nights with him to look after him.
“This is a terrible tragedy for John’s wife Mary and their children, particularly so close to Christmas. John was being a loving, caring son,” the former mayor said.
Ger said that John was a loved and respected man in the Hospital community, as are his wife and two teenage children.
John was a welder by trade and well known locally both is his profession and personally.
“He was a lovely, intelligent man. The community will support his family in this unbelievably sad time. My very deepest condolences go out to them.”
Neighbours raised the alarm in the early hours of this morning and two units of Tipperary Fire and Rescue Service attended the blaze, which caused extensive smoke damage.
An investigation into the cause of the fire is under way, with Gardaí and fire service personnel having carried out a technical examination inside the house. It is believed the blaze started accidentally.
Stephen’s wife, John’s mother, died earlier this year, while the late Littleton man also lost a sibling some years ago.
