Tributes paid to retired garda sergeant who died in house fire in Graigenamanagh

Tributes are being paid to Frank Stafford Senior who died in a house fire in Graiguenamanagh last night.

The retired garda sergeant died tragically after a fire broke out at his home on the main street at around 11:20 last night.

Emergency services attended the scene while a woman in her fifities was also brought to St Lukes with non-life threatening injuries.

Cathaoirleach of Kilkenny County Council Andrew McGuinness says the tragedy in Graiguenamanagh is devastating for the local community and to Kilkenny as a whole, “I was deepely saddened when I heard the news myself and I want to extend my thoughts and prayer to the Stafford family on the tragic loss of Frank Senior and also to the wider community in Graiguenamanagh who are no doubt shocked and saddened by what has happened.”

“It’s heartbreaking to hear of something like this happening in a close knit community like Graiguenamanagh and yet I know Frank Stafford Junior and work with him on Kilkenny County Council.  I know the family are very well respected and Frank (Senior) will be saddly missed.  As chairman fof Kilkenny County Council, i want to extend my deepest sympathies to Frank (Junior) and the family and to the local community in Graiguenamanagh.”