TRIBUTES have been paid to the three elderly Irish family members who were victims of a house fire in east London.
James Whelan, his brother Joe and sister-in-law Ann died following a fire at Mr Whelan's property in Hornchurch.
Joe and Ann had been visiting from Cobh, Co. Cork.
Four fire engines and 21 firefighters and officers were called to the blaze in the early hours of Monday morning, February 6.
Part of the ground floor of a mid-terraced house was damaged by fire.
Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus managed to get brothers Jim and Joe, and Joe's wife Ann out of the house, and they were treated at the scene by the Brigade and London Ambulance Service crews.
However Mrs Whelan was pronounced dead at the scene at the time of the fire, while Jim and Joe later died in hospital.
Noel O'Flaherty, a friend of Jim Whelan, told The Irish Post of his "wonderful neighbour".
"It was a very sad tragedy that happened to my neighbour Jim – we've known each other for 12 years.
"My wife and I were in Dublin and on our way to the airport on Monday morning when we got a phone call from our son to tell us the devastating news.
"It was a terrible shock," Mr O'Flaherty from Ennistymon, Co. Clare, said.
"Jim was a very active, fit man up to the New Year when he hurt his back.
"He had been in hospital and his brother Joe and sister-in-law Ann came from Cobh to be with him for a couple of weeks.
"I spoke to Ann last Friday before we left, she said they'd keep an eye on the house while we were away and we'd have a chat when we got back.
"Unfortunately, we never had that chat."
"They were very nice, and a lovely couple," Mr O'Flaherty said, "Joe and Jim were very close, and Jim would go home on a regular basis to see his brother."
"I thought of him as a wonderful neighbour, and we got on great. We had chats over the garden fence and he always spoke highly of Ireland.
"We had a good friendship."
London Fire Commissioner Dany Cotton said: “My thoughts and those of everyone at the Brigade are with the friends and family of the three people who have died following the tragic fire in Hornchurch on Monday morning.
“Firefighters worked extremely hard and did all they could in difficult conditions.”
The Brigade was called shortly after 4am on Monday and the fire was under control by 5.48am.
Fire crews from Hornchurch, Dagenham and Romford fire stations attended the scene.
Fire investigators and the police are working closely to establish the cause of the fire.
The Irish Department of Foreign Affairs have confirmed they are providing consular assistance and Minister Charlie Flanagan said: "I would like to extend my deepest sympathies to the family and friends of the three people who died following a house fire in Hornchurch in Essex, on Monday.“
