Gardaí investigate fire which killed twin brothers

GARDAÍ IN Waterford are today continuing their investigations into a fire which led to the deaths of twin brothers at their apartment in the city early yesterday.

Michael and Richard Walsh (33) were yesterday morning found dead by a friend at their ground floor city apartment.

David Power (23), from Cherrymount in the city, raised the alarm at about 11am yesterday after calling at Suir House, in Canada Square.

The men had been living at the rented property for some weeks prior to their deaths.

Mr Power contacted emergency services when he saw smoke gathering inside the closed windows of the apartment. His attempts to break in through the double-glazed windows failed.

One of the men lay slumped on a chair, while another was discovered on the floor, it emerged.

Gardaí and four tenders from the Waterford City Fire Service arrived within minutes.

However, the “inseparable twins”, known in some circles locally as “the Wellies” and who originally came from Kilbride in Co Waterford, were found dead.

Neighbour Kerri-Ann Chaffer, who lives above the apartment, said: “I just parked my car at 11 o’clock and I saw a man [Mr Power] standing at the window.

“I asked him what was up and he told me there was smoke,” said Ms Chaffer. “It was black in there.

“I came back up and when I went back down he was trying to break the window . . . the inside of it was shattered.

“I think they broke the window from the inside to try and get out,” added Ms Chaffer.

Firefighters searched the area and the apartment was cordoned off pending the arrival of forensic gardaí. Technical examinations were carried out yesterday afternoon.

The bodies remained at the house for some hours yesterday before they were taken to Waterford Regional Hospital. It is understood that postmortems will be concluded at the hospital today.

Visibly shaken, Mr Power, along with his mother Catherine and friend Gavin Mitchell, spoke of the tragedy yesterday.

Mr Power said: “I left them in the flat at five o’clock yesterday [Tuesday] evening – I called into them every day.

“They were quiet people; they just enjoyed their few drinks and going up to the bookies.”

Mr Mitchell said he had given the twins a Staffordshire bull terrier pup some months ago. It is understood that the dog, christened Ruby by the pair, also perished in the blaze.

Neighbours in the square yesterday said that the electricity at the apartment had been cut off due to an unpaid bill and that the men had been using candles prior to the fire.

Investigating gardaí could not yesterday confirm what caused the fire but are not treating the deaths as suspicious.

Waterford city fire chief Niall Curtin yesterday said that the fire had burned itself out when firefighters arrived at Canada Square, a residential area containing a series of apartment blocks.

Mr Curtin said the fire service was alerted of the fire at 11.14am and “When we arrived at 11.18[am], we made entry into the ground floor apartment but the fire was out.”

There was no indication of where the fire had started, while the scene had been handed over to investigating gardaí, said Mr Curtin.

Mr Power yesterday described his friends as “nice young fellas and very good friends”.

Mr Power’s mother, Catherine, described the twins as “two gentlemen who wouldn’t put in or out on anyone. They looked out for one another and they were very likeable young fellas.”

Mayor of Waterford Cllr Mary O’Halloran yesterday afternoon said: “This is a terrible shock and an awful tragedy; a horrendous loss of life right in a home close to the heart of the city centre.

“I offer my sincere condolences to the family of the deceased.”