Mourners pay last respects to fire victims

HUNDREDS of mourners last night turned out to bid their final farewells to twin brothers who died at a house fire in Waterford city early on Wednesday.

Identical twins Michael and Richard Walsh (33) were found dead on Wednesday morning by a friend at their ground-floor city centre apartment in Canada Street, Waterford.

Originally from Kilbride near Tramore, the twins had been living at the rented property for some weeks prior to their deaths.

The brothers’ remains were taken from Waterford Regional Hospital at 6.30pm last night, and taken about 10km to the Holy Cross Church in Tramore.

Both coffins, adorned with tricolours, were taken to the church, where hundreds of mourners had been waiting.

Inside, Msgr Michael Olden, on behalf of the parish, extended “sincere sympathies” to the boys’ father Jim; mother Mary; sisters Linda, Elizabeth and Susan; and brothers John, James and Paul.

“We assure them of our prayers and concern and we assure them of our support,” said Msgr Olden.

Msgr Olden, who was last night assisted by Waterford Institute of Technology chaplain Fr David Keating, said President Mary McAleese had contacted him to extend her sympathies to the Walsh families.

“We are all, together as a community, united in prayer for the two fine men who have died,” said Msgr Oldham.

Gardaí conducting their investigations into the fire at the rented apartment are treating the deaths as accidental.