The sole survivor of a fire at a Dublin women’s refuge has been told that her children died in the blaze.

 

Biddy O’Brien is recovering from severe burns in St. James’ Hospital six weeks on from the fire in Sonas Supported Housing in Clondalkin.

 

Her partner Jamie had to break the news  to Biddy that the March blaze tragically took the lives of her two children, Jordan, 4 and daughter Holly, 3.
 

Biddy's pregnant cousin Annmarie O'Brien, 27 and Annmarie's daughter Paris, 2, also lost their lives in the tragic fire in Clondalkin on March 8.

 

 

Jim O’Brien is a relative and manager of the Bray Travellers Community Development Group. He told the Sun: "He told her what happened. Of course Biddy took it really hard. Now they are on the long road of trying to deal with the huge grief."
 

"It was the toughest conversation of Jamie's life. He has been carrying the news since the tragedy. He has been waiting for her condition to improve to tell her their children are dead.

 

Gardaí suspect an electrical source, possibly involving a television, may have caused the fire at a charity housing complex in Dublin which claimed the four lives, including Annmarie who was seven-months pregnant.

 

Biddy and her children were visiting Annmarie and Paris. The apartment complex was used to house victims of domestic violence, as well as providing emergency accommodation.

 

Annmarie, Paris and Holly were all pronounced dead upon being taken to separate hospitals. Jordan remained in critical condition at Crumlin Children’s Hospital before passing away a day later.

 

Funerals for the family members that perished took place in Shankhill, South Dublin. O’Brien said the Travelling community was devastated by the loss: “The grieving is absolutely unreal".


This was the latest fire tragedy to hit the travelling community. A major fire broke out at the Carrickmines halting site in 2015, which took the lives of 10 people, including a pregnant woman.

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