Posted by Updated / Sunday, 7 Dec 2025 13:17
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Midlands Correspondent
A murder investigation is under way after a four-year-old boy and a 60-year-old woman were killed in a house fire in Edenderry, Co Offaly yesterday evening.
Another woman in her 50s has been seriously injured and is in a critical condition in hospital.
Gardaí say the house at Castleview Park in Edenderry was deliberately attacked.
“This was a reckless, callous and murderous attack on a family home,” gardaí said.
Gardaí and emergency services attended the scene of the blaze at the house shortly before 7.45pm yesterday evening.
The fire was subsequently extinguished by the local fire service and two bodies recovered from the house.
The house has been declared a crime scene, gardaí said, and is currently subject to technical examination by the Garda Technical Bureau.
The office of the local coroner and the State Pathologist have been notified.
The remains of the boy and the woman have been removed from the scene.
Post-mortem examinations will be carried out at the Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore this afternoon.
The murder investigation is being coordinated from an incident room at Tullamore Garda Station.
A Family Liaison Officer has been appointed to the families.
Gardaí are appealing for anyone with any information to come forward.
They want to speak with any person who was in the vicinity of Castleview Park, or adjoining roads between 7pm and 8pm, yesterday.
They also wish to speak with any person who was driving in the vicinity of Castleview Park, or adjoining roads, between 7pm and 8pm yesterday and who may have any dashcam video footage or images.
The investigation team can be contacted at the incident room at Tullamore Garda Station on 057 932 7600, the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111 or any garda station, in particular Edenderry Garda Station.
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