Updated: 9:50am

GARDAÍ ARE INVESTIGATING the cause of a house fire in Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan, that killed a man in his 60s in the early hours of Monday morning.

The blaze is being treated as suspicious by gardaí, who are awaiting DNA tests to formally identify the deceased.

The man, who has been named locally as Gerry Marron, was pronounced dead at the scene in St Macartan’s Villas at around 3am on 21 March.

His body was removed to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda where a post-mortem was carried out by the deputy state pathologist, Dr Michael Curtis.

The results of the examination, which concluded yesterday, have been passed onto investigators.

Gardaí said fire services were alerted to the incident shortly after 1.30am by a neighbour who lived across the road from the deceased.

The neighbour heard “a bang” and saw what appeared to be flames inside the hall of the house, Superintendent Alan Cunningham told TheJournal.ie. The man crossed the road to investigate and found the front door to be slightly ajar.

He heard the deceased cry for help but was unable to rescue him, Cunningham said.

The cause of the fire has yet to be established but gardaí believe another person may have been in the house before the blaze broke out.

The force is relying on DNA to identify the victim due to his extensive burns and injuries.

Gardaí are appealing for witnesses who may have been in the area between 7pm on Sunday and 2am on Monday to contact them Carrickmacross Garda Station on 042 9690190, the Garda Confidential Telephone Line on 1800 666 111 or any garda station.

- additional reporting by Aoife Barry