Man dies in fatal house fire overnight

The community of Ballyjamesduff is “in shock” this morning following a fatal fire, which claimed the life of an elderly man overnight.
Units of the local fire service from Ballyjamesduff and nearby Virginia town were called to action in the early hours, after the alarm was raised at around 3am.
However, the sole occupant of the property on the Derrylurgan Estate on the Crosskeys Road perished in the blaze.
It's understood the victim, aged in his 50s, had lived locally all his life.

A spokesperson for An Garda Siochana confirmed: "Gardaí are investigating the death of a male in his 50s in a fatal fire that occurred at a house in the Derrylurgan area of Ballyjamesduff, Co. Cavan, on 2nd August 2018 at approximately 3am."

They said the cause of the fire is not yet known and a technical examination of the scene is due to take place later today August 2, and the results of this are expected "will determine the course of the investigation".

The Crosskeys Road remains closed this morning following the tragedy.
Local Fine Gael County Councillor Paddy Smith said that the rural community is "in shock” this morning following the tragedy.
“Everyone is very upset, it's another serious tragedy for people in the community to deal with,” said Cllr Smith.
He added that the local community in Ballyjamesduff have themselves rallied to comfort each other in dealing with their shared grief.