Three people were seriously injured in an early-morning arson attack on a house in Limerick yesterday.
The injured include two young sisters, one who was said to be fighting for her life in a Dublin hospital last night.
The fire started in a house on Lenihan Avenue in the Ballinacurra Weston area of Limerick city shortly before 7 a.m.
There were nine people in the house at the time, two adults and their five children, as well as two neighbouring children.
Two units of Limerick Fire Brigade fought the blaze for nearly an hour before it was brought under control.
All the occupants were taken to the Mid-Western Regional Hospital. They included one year-old girl, Leah Ryan, and her four-year-old sister Catlin.
Catlin was later transferred to Our Lady's Hospital in Crumlin, Dublin, and her condition was said last night to be critical.
The children's mother, Ms Jackie Ryan, was transferred to Cork University Hospital where her condition was described last night as critical but stable.
The father of the family, Mr Robert Ryan, and the rest of the children were discharged from hospital following treatment for smoke inhalation.
As Garda technical experts examined the scene last night, beds, children's toys and scorched clothes lay scattered in the front garden.
It's understood that the house was targeted in a petrol bomb attack.
However, gardaí said they were satisfied that yesterday's attack was not linked to the bitter ongoing feud on the north side of Limerick city.
"Several people are currently helping gardaí with a number of narrow lines of inquiry," said a Garda spokesman.