Three men and teen arrested as part of investigation into Edenderry house fire

Four-year-old Tadhg Farrell and his great-aunt Mary Holt were killed in the blaze just before Christmas.
Three men and teen arrested as part of investigation into Edenderry house fire

By Gráinne Ní Aodha, Press Association

Three men and a teenager have been arrested as part of an investigation into the fatal house fire in Co Offaly in which a woman and child died.

Four-year-old Tadhg Farrell and his great-aunt Mary Holt were killed in the blaze in Castleview Park, Edenderry, on December 6th.

The young boy’s grandmother received serious burn injuries in the incident.

Gardaí said they had arrested three men, two aged in their 20s and one in his 30s, on Tuesday.

They later added that they had arrested a fourth male, a juvenile aged in his teens.

A member of the Garda technical bureau conducts a forensic investigation at a property in Castleview Park in Edenderry, Co Offaly
The property was attacked shortly before 7:45pm on December 6th (Niall Carson/PA)

They were being detained at Garda stations in the Midlands under Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act 2007.

Gardaí said investigations were ongoing.

The child had been visiting his grandmother and great-aunt when the home was attacked shortly before 7:45pm.

Investigators previously released CCTV footage of the attack that appeared to show two hooded individuals smashing a window before setting an object on fire and throwing it into the property.

The incident in December drew political attention and prompted locals to hold a vigil for the victims.

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