Elliot English died in a Dublin children’s hospital more than three weeks after the fire that killed his parents and two brothers. Another child injured in the attack remains in a critical condition.
Six-year-old Elliot English has died more than three weeks after an arson attack on his family home in Waterford, Ireland. He suffered critical injuries in the fire in the Birchwood estate on 13 October and was treated at Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) in Crumlin, Dublin. He died on Friday 6 November. His parents, Kim and Philip English, and his brothers Callum and Jayden also died following the attack. A second child taken to hospital remains critically ill.
Garda statement
A spokesperson for An Garda Síochána confirmed Elliot’s death to the Irish Mirror. The force said he “sustained critical injuries during a fire at his home in the Birchwood area of Waterford City on Tuesday, 13th October 2026”, and had passed away on Friday 6 November at CHI Crumlin in Dublin 12.
“The thoughts of all members of An Garda Síochána are with the extended English family at this sad time,” the spokesperson said.
Brother’s tribute
Elliot’s brother, John James English, paid tribute on social media alongside a smiling photograph of the boy. “RIP baby bro Elliot,” he wrote, adding that Elliot was “in God’s arms” and back with their father, Philip, their mother, Kim, and their younger brothers Callum and Jayden.
Investigation
Gardaí have arrested six people in connection with the attack. Four were released without charge and two are before the courts.
The family’s funerals
The funerals of Philip, Kim, 12-year-old Callum and nine-year-old Jayden were held last month at the Sacred Heart Church in Waterford. Bishop Alphonsus Cullinan, who presided over the service, said the tragedy had “shocked us all to the core”.
“How heart-wrenching it is to see four coffins before this sacred altar,” he told mourners, describing the community and the whole country as joining in “loving solidarity” with the family and their friends. “Four beautiful innocent lives have been taken. Two loving, devoted parents who did their best for their children. Innocent victims of a web of evil which is the drug trade.”
The bishop said harmful drugs are available in every city, town and village, and that lives are being destroyed. “Those who work behind the scenes need to see the consequences of their dark trade,” he said. He also asked: “As a country, I ask, ‘have we really faced up to this problem?’”
