‘All her memories are gone' – Woman left homeless after fire destroys thatched cottage in Cork as fundraiser set up
A FUNDRAISER has been set up for an 85-year-old woman who was left homeless after her thatched cottage was destroyed in a fire.
English woman Margaret Adams was living the good life in her lovely picturesque little home near Inch, Killeagh in East
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She was living the good life in her picturesque little home near Inch in East Cork
Credit: GoFundMe
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But disaster struck on the morning of March 20 when a fire broke out
Credit: GoFundMe
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A friend said the dogs are the pride and joy of the kind-hearted pensioner
Credit: GoFundMe
But disaster struck on the morning of March 20 when a fire broke out and the inferno spread so quickly the pensioner was lucky to escape with her life.
Margaret, who moved to Ireland from the UK two decades ago, was rescued from the burning cottage and her beloved dogs Misty and Freddie were saved by a neighbour.
Her friend Bernie Fleming said the dogs are the pride and joy of the kind-hearted pensioner.
Fortunately, her other animals were not in the cottage when the fire started.
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But Bernie said Margaret lost all of her other possessions.
She said: 'Everything she ever owned. All her memories are gone. It was a terrible ordeal for her.'
As Margaret has no relatives in Ireland she went back to the UK to her brother temporarily but she now wants to return to her own place again.
To add to her misfortunes, she had no insurance on her lovely traditional home because it was a thatched house and the company she was previously with weren't covering homes with thatch anymore.
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Bernie said: 'Margaret, at her age, cannot afford to rebuild the house so she is hoping to get a mobile home for which she has only a tiny budget.
"This is far from ideal for Margaret at at almost 86 years of age, plus health issues.'
'DEAREST WISH'
She said Margaret has been hospitalised a few times in the past year.
Now Bernie has set up a GoFundMe page to try and raise funds to get a 'good mobile home' with heating, double glazing and possibly insulation for her elderly friend.
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She said: 'It is going to be very difficult and so very sad for her when she returns again to the ruins of what was once her beautiful home.'
All local people want to do is raise funds to get Margaret a little place where she can feel 'comfortable and happy again' with her beloved dogs as it is her 'dearest wish' to get back to them.
Bernie said 'I'm really appealing please to your generosity and kindness for any few euros at all you can afford to help get Margaret a little place where she will feel comfortable and happy again in due course with her little dogs, as it's her dearest wish to get back to them.
To date over €7,000 has been raised but the more money that's received the better Margaret's new home will be.
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Donations can be made to the Adams GoFundMe appeal at
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Margaret Adams was left homeless after her thatched cottage was destroyed in a fire
Credit: GoFundMe
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