A six-year-old boy who was critically injured in a suspected arson attack on his family home in Waterford last month has died in hospital, becoming the fifth victim of the incident.
Elliot English passed away at Children's Health Ireland (CHI) in Crumlin, Dublin, on Friday, 6 November 2026, according to a spokesperson for An Garda Síochána.
Family Tragedy in Waterford
The boy had been hospitalised since the fire at his home in the Birchwood area of Waterford City on Tuesday, 13 October 2026. His parents, Kim and Philip English, and his brothers, Callum, 12, and Jayden, 9, all lost their lives in the attack.
Elliot and another child were taken to hospital following the fire. The second child remains in a critical condition.
Tributes and Investigation
In a tribute shared on social media, Elliot's brother John James English wrote: "RIP baby bro Elliot ... Your in God's arms and bk with our dad Philip and your mam Kim and lil brothers callum. Jayden" (sic).
Gardaí investigating the attack have arrested six individuals. Four were released without charge, while the remaining two are currently before the courts.
Community Mourning
Last month, funerals were held for Philip, Kim, Callum and Jayden. Bishop Alphonsus Cullinan, who led the service at the Sacred Heart Church in Waterford, described the four as "innocent victims of a web of evil which is the drugs trade".
He said it was "heart-wrenching" to see four coffins before the altar, adding that those involved in the drugs trade "need to see the consequences of their dark trade".
In his address, Bishop Cullinan said: "This tragedy has shocked us all to the core. How heart-wrenching it is to see four coffins before this sacred altar, and this entire community and the whole country joining in loving solidarity with the family and the many friends of Kim and Phil and Callum and Jayden."
He added that harmful drugs are available in every city, town and village, and that "young lives and the lives of the not-so-young are being destroyed by drugs".
