Carer who died in house fire was a 'son, brother, partner, friend and rock'

Olivia Kelleher

The funeral service for Kevin Kelly, who died in a house fire in Casla, Co Galway earlier this week has heard that he was born 14 days after his due date and did things his own way from that point on.

Mr Kelly (31) died alongside Sunny Jacobs (76) when a fire broke out at her cottage at Gleannicmurrin in Casla on Wednesday morning.

Mr Kelly was a carer for Ms Jacobs. He also looked after her husband Peter Pringle prior to his death in 2023.

Kevin’s younger sister Jill told mourners at the Discovery Church on the Tuam Road this afternoon that he was a free spirit who lived to help others.

Kevin was born in Dublin but moved to Inishmore with his family at the age of four. The Kelly family subsequently re located to Athenry. Jill said that Kevin loved “the tranquil life surrounded by the community of Connemara".

Mourners were told that Kevin loved dogs even though he was bitten in the face by one at a young age. Jill said that there was a lesson to be learned in how Kevin moved on from this frightening experience and ended up volunteering for the dog welfare charity MADRA.

Jill said that his time in MADRA was a “life-changing experience” for her older brother.

“It was where his love of dogs was truly discovered and it was where he met his beautiful (partner) Sheree. Sheree told me this week that the first time she went out to MADRA to volunteer she got out of the car and she said to Kev ‘Where do you keep the pit bulls?

"And that was it. He was hook, line and sinker (in love). Sheree you and Kevin were made for each other and he loved you so much.”

Jill added that they had lost “a son, a brother, a partner, friend and rock".

Kevin is survived by his mother Fiona, his father Ken, Ken's partner Maureen and her son Jonathan, Kevin’s partner Sheree, his siblings Jill and Cúán, brothers-in-law Conor and Kal, his nieces and nephew, extended family, friends and neighbours.

Following the service a cremation took place this afternoon in Shannon Crematorium at 4pm.