The six-year-old Traveller boy who died in a fire at a Limerick halting site at the weekend was named yesterday as Thomas Connors, Clondrina halting site, Ennis Road, Limerick.
The boy was at home with his parents, Tommy and Elizabeth and his five-year-old brother and a six-month-old baby when a fire broke out in their mobile home shortly after 10.30am on Sunday.
Despite desperate attempts by the boy's father to save his son, the boy died in the blaze.
It is understood the child may have hidden in a wardrobe in an effort to escape the flames, and his father could not locate him.
The dead boy's father suffered some minor injuries during his desperate fight to save his son.
"This was an extremely sad accident and naturally the family is distraught," said a Garda spokesman.
"We are not in a position yet to confirm how the fire started but the mobile home was completely gutted in the blaze," he added.
Two units of Limerick fire brigade were called to the fire and a spokesman for the service extended his sympathy to the family yesterday.
Families living at the Clondrina halting site were also comforting the Connors family who were described by friends as "heartbroken".
Health Board staff met with the family yesterday to arrange alternative accommodation as their home was completely destroyed in Sunday's fire.
A postmortem was carried out on the dead boy, who was due to celebrate his seventh birthday in August, at the Mid-Western Regional Hospital on Sunday.
His removal is due to take place today at 3pm from Crosses funeral home in Limerick city to Christ the King Church in Caherdavin.
Burial will take place tomorrow following 11am Mass.