Swinford fire victims named locally as Tom and Eileen Mahon

SWINFORD and the wider east Mayo community are this evening coming to terms with the loss of a well-known couple in a fire at their family home.

The couple, named locally as Tom and Eileen Mahon, died when a fire broke out in their house at Deerpark on the Kilkelly Road, just outside Swinford.

The Mahon's were a well-known couple who ran Mahon's Furniture and Flooring in Swinford and the fire has left the close knit community in shock. They are survived by their two grown up children.

Local councillor John Caulfield said that the Swinford community has been left numb by the tragedy and there has been an air of sadness all day in the town.

“The community is shocked and saddened to hear the news of the tragedy that has occurred. There is a numbness in the community at the loss of life of Tom and Eileen who were very well-known and respected. They operated a very successful business and I had many dealings with them. They were a pleasure to deal with.

“There is a real air of sadness in Swinford and talking to people in the town they cannot believe it. This comes just two weeks after the loss of life in a house fire in Kiltimagh and there is real shock in the community at what happened,” he said.

The blaze was reported to the emergency services in the early hours of Tuesday morning. The house was extensively damaged by the time the local fire services brought the blaze under control and the discovery of two bodies in the house was made. It is understood they were the only people in the house at the time of the blaze.

The scene was preserved all day by An Garda Síochána and the Garda scenes of crime investigators have been carrying out technical examinations at the location to determine the cause of the fire.

The discovery of the two bodies were also reported to the local coroner for investigation and the two bodies were removed to Mayo University Hospital for a post mortem examination.