Rathowen couple who lost everything in a house fire thankful for community support

They say never to underestimate the power of good neighbours, and that is certainly true of the people in Rathowen who have rallied behind an elderly couple whose home was destroyed by fire on December 29.

The blaze, believed to have been caused by an electrical fault, started early in the morning of Tuesday last and quickly took hold, leaving 90-year-old Pat Murray and his wife Attracta on the side of the road without any belongings.

Since then, a GoFundMe page started by their community has raised almost €27,000 to help the couple.

Pat, who celebrated his 90th birthday the day before the fire broke out, describes the horrifying moment the blaze took hold: “I got up out of bed and cooked a fry, I’ve always had a fry every morning of my lifetime. I was sitting here after eating breakfast and I thought I saw smoke near the door.

“I thought the chimney was on fire and I turned back to get a bucket of water to try and quench it down, but by that time the ceiling was on fire, the felt had caught, and the whole roof was ablaze.

“We had to get out as quick as we could. We were all standing out on the road looking at it, and three fire brigades came, from Edgeworthstown, Castlepollard and Mullingar.”

Pat, who worked in Bord na Mona till he retired, says he is very thankful for the kindness of his neighbours and friends.

“Thank God for good neighbours – they brought us down the road that day and wined and dined us,” he said, adding that due to the generosity of one of his neighbours, he and Attracta have a place to stay while their home is being rebuilt.”

“We’ll have to try to rebuild, that is the plan. The house was built by my grandmother, who passed it on to my mother, and then on to me,” Pat said. “Myself and my wife raised our five children here, four boys and one girl.”

But, he admits, “It’s not easy facing this at my age.”

“If it was 30 years ago I’d relish the challenge, but not now, I’m not able. It’s a big ordeal to have to face this but I hope to live to see it rebuilt.”

Pat’s son Tommy says he would like to thank all the people who supported the fundraising efforts so far.

“The community has been fantastic. The amount of donations that have come in is astounding, and in the times that are in it with Covid and everything, and people being out of work.

“It’s just amazing how people have been so generous, they have been brilliant,” he said.

“I’d like to thank everyone who gave donations, I don’t know how we will ever repay them. But the community is so good, it’s a great community.”

He said his parents were very lucky to have escaped with their lives.

“Thankfully they are both still alive. I know it will be a hard new year for them, but it could have been much worse. You read lots of stories of people who don’t make it out.”

His father Pat is in agreement.

“We’re just happy that we were able to walk out of it alive. And thank God we’re still walking around,” he says.

“And we have great neighbours, we’ll never be able to repay them for their kindness and support throughout all of this.”

To donate, click on the link: GoFundMe.ie