Tragic flat fire victim Ellen Finnegan aged 19

A special prayer service is being held this afternoon for Ellen Finnegan, the tragic teenager who died in a fire at her flat on Saturday.

It will be held at Ellen’s Assumption Grammar School in Balynahinch.

The blaze broke out in the bedroom of the flat in Castlewellan’s Lower Square at about 4 am.

The 19-year-old died despite the valiant efforts by paramedics to revive her.

She died on the third anniversary of her mother’s death.

The fire was in the flat above her father Bartley’s butcher’s shop.

NIFRS brought in 22 firefighters to bring the blaze under control.

Fire service group commander Max Joyce said it is not yet clear what caused the fire.

“The first thing I would like to do is pass condolences to the family – it’s a tragedy for the family and a tragedy for Castlewellan, which is such a close-knit community,” he said.

“Essentially the blaze itself was contained to a bedroom just over the butcher’s and there was a fair bit of heat coming off it.

“Our breathing apparatus teams managed to make their way through, fought their way through, to get to the young girl.”

He appealed for anyone who does not have a smoke alarm in their home to get one as soon as possible.