Neighbours rally to help after man hurt in blaze
Wednesday February 03 2010
A LIXNAW man was lucky to escape with his life from a fire at a shed on his premises on Wednesday evening last. Laurence O'Connell (56), of Liskillane, Lixnaw, is recovering from his ordeal at Cork University Hospital where he is understood to have undergone extensive skin-graft surgery among other procedures.
It is not known exactly what happened in the accident as Mr O'Connell was on his own at the time, but he is believed to have been working on a vehicle inside a shed on his farm at Liskillane on Wednesday evening when the fire broke out.
It is not yet known what caused the blaze, but Mr O'Connell sustained severe burns and was rushed to Kerry General Hospital initially. He was transferred to Cork University Hospital soon after for specialist surgery in the treatment of burn injuries.
A popular local farmer, the accident has shocked friends and neighbours in Lixnaw who have rallied to the O'Connell's family aid.
"Laurence is a wonderful friend and neighbour who would always enjoy the time of day with you and all our thoughts and prayers are with him through his ordeal. The whole place is shocked by it, but neighbours are helping out on Laurence's farm and doing all we can to take care of the farm while he is in hospital," one local told The Kerryman.
- DONAL NOLAN dnolan@kerryman.ie
