THREE elderly people died in house fires in Co Westmeath and Co Galway during the weekend.
Fire also destroyed a hotel Lifford, Co Donegal, yesterday, no one was injured.
Two sisters in their 70s died yesterday morning in a fire which is believed to have started in one of the bedrooms of their cottage in Multyfarnham, Co Westmeath.
They were named as Mrs Mary Mahoney (76) and Ms Ellen Glynn (79).
The fire in their family home was spotted by Mrs Mahoney's grandson, who saw smoke coming from the roof at about 8.30 a.m. He and another local man raised the alarm.
Mullingar fire brigade and local gardai were called to the scene, but the cottage was completely destroyed in the blaze.
The two women were believed to have been asleep when the fire broke out.
"They were two very capable ladies who pulled out all the electrical appliances before going to bed," said a local garda.
He said the fire may have been started by a lighting candle or a cigarette.
He added that both women are believed to have been smokers.
In Galway, meanwhile, Mr Frank Nestor (66) died after a fire at his house in Ballyglunnan, near Tuam.
The fire broke out at about 11 p.m. on Saturday. His body was removed to University College Hospital, Galway, where a post. mortem examination will be carried out.
In Donegal, fire destroyed the Gateway Hotel at Lifford shortly after 5 p.m. yesterday.
Staff and guests looked on as three units of the fire brigade from Letterkenny and Strabane, Co Tyrone, fought the blaze for several hours.
Gardai sealed off the area and began forensic testing to establish the cause of the fire.