ALMOST £500,000 has been raised for the Co Laois family which lost seven members in a house fire at the beginning of June. The amount has far exceeded the original target of £150,000, and money is still pouring in for the Maher family of Portarlington.
Six of the 13 member family Mrs Breda Maher (48), her sons Mark (23) and Barry (12) and daughters Joanne (9) Fiona (6) and Martina (2) died in the fire at their end of terrace home at Marian Hill Portarlington.
Five days later, Colm Maher (25), who had tried to save his brother, Barry, who suffered from muscular dystrophy, died in St James's Hospital, Dublin.
The surviving family members the father, Aloysius (Alo) Maher, sons Alo jnr (26), Paul (21), Vincent (17), Brendan (14) and Dominic (11) were left homeless and lost almost all their belongings in the blaze.
The fund for the family was set up in the days following the fire on June 2nd. Since then, donations have been received from all over Ireland and from abroad.
"The response has been overwhelming", said Father P.J. Byrne, local curate and chairman of the board of trustees. "We have stopped fund raising now, but the money keeps coming in. The level of spirit and generosity is overwhelming. It is very much appreciated by the Maher family and the entire community who suffered such a huge loss."
The board of trustees will oversee the fund. "The money will be used to assist with rehousing the family and education. The fund is being administered by nine trustees drawn from the local community. They are working on an eight year plan", said Father Byrne.
The family has been temporarily rehoused about half a mile from Marian Hill. Plans are being drawn up to build a house on the site of their original home. "The family want to go back to the same place.
Much of that is based on the strength of the relationship with their neighbours on Marian Hill."
Father Byrne said that the surviving family members were remarkably well considering what they had been through. "They are being carried along by the strength of the community support in Portarlington", he added.