Cork mother-of-five widowed in November loses home in fire

Fundraising initiative set up to help Mary Gore and her five young children

Over €20,000 was raised online on Friday for a Cork mother-of-five who lost all of her belongings in a house fire a month after her husband passed away from cancer.

Mary Gore was unable to retrieve any of her personal belongings following a fire at the family home at College Wood in Mallow on Tuesday.

She and her five children, who are all under eight, are left with just the clothes on their backs and a few photographs.

Poignantly, Mary managed to retrieve Army medals from the house which belonged to her late husband Chris who died last month.

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A family friend contacted Cork’s Red FM this morning to discuss their plight. Carol Guerin said the Gore children left for school on Tuesday morning with their mother Mary. Mary was subsequently contacted by someone who told her her house was on fire.

“The kitchen is completely destroyed. The ceiling is gone. Literally everything they have in the house is obviously very damaged by smoke. They literally have the clothes on the back. I am not sure how it happened. We do know it’s the cooker, but it’s fairly bad. Toys, clothes, beds and furniture. Everything they have is gone.”

Focusing on Christmas

She said Ms Gore, who has two boys, Adam (7) and David (8), and five-year-old triplets Sarah, Ellen and Teresa, was only able to salvage some important pictures and medals from the house.

Ms Guerin said the children have had a tough time following the loss of their dad, who was about to turn 44 last month. Their mother was “trying to keep herself together” for them and had been focusing on Christmas. The family visited Santa last week. Since the fire, the family has been staying with Ms Gore’s brother.

Ms Guerin appealed to the public to assist the family as they attempt to rebuild their lives.She said Mallow Act of Kindness had been "absolutely fantastic" and a Go Fund Me page had been set up. Local Independent councillor, John Paul O'Shea, has also urged the people of Cork to get behind the family.

Anyone who wishes to donate to the Gore Go Fund Me Page can do so at gofundme.com/mary-gore.