Elliot English

Elliot English was a six year old boy from Waterford City, Ireland, who became known to the public only through the circumstances of his death. <cite index="3-1">A six-year-old boy has become the fifth member of his family to perish following a suspected arson attack in County Waterford.</cite> He was not a public figure in the ordinary sense of this website's subjects. He was a young child whose name entered the news because of a crime committed against his family, and this page exists to record what happened to him plainly and respectfully.

On the morning of 13 October 2026, a fire broke out at the English family home <cite index="10-1">on a residence on Birch Avenue, in the Birchwood estate in Waterford</cite> city. <cite index="7-1">Philip and Kim English, and their children Callum (12) and Jayden (9), were killed in fire at their home in Birchwood area on October 13th.</cite> Gardai treated the fire as a suspected arson attack from the outset. <cite index="6-2">Two other children, a girl (14) and a boy (6), were rescued from the house and taken to hospital in a critical condition.</cite> The boy was Elliot English.

Elliot remained in hospital for more than three weeks after the fire. <cite index="1-2">Elliot English died in hospital on Friday, more than three weeks after the fatal arson attack in Waterford City that killed his parents, Philip and Kim, and two of his siblings, Jayden and Callum.</cite> <cite index="2-2">Six-year-old Elliot English passed away at Children's Health Ireland at Crumlin</cite> in Dublin on 6 November 2026, becoming the fifth member of his immediate family to die as a result of the attack. His death left his teenage sister, who had also been rescued from the fire, as the only known surviving member of the immediate family.

Elliot's death was confirmed by his family in a statement to a local Waterford radio station. <cite index="1-4">The English family wishes to confirm, with profound sadness, the passing of Elliot, the family said in a statement.</cite> His death prompted an outpouring of grief across Ireland, with RTE reporting that he was remembered as <cite index="4-3">a precious little boy</cite> by those close to him. The deaths of Elliot and his family have been widely described in Irish media as one of the most devastating domestic tragedies in the country in recent years, and the case remains the subject of an active Garda investigation into who was responsible for setting the fire.

No one has yet been charged with causing the deaths. <cite index="9-1,9-2">A total of four people were detained under Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act, anti-gang legislation, arrested on suspicion of facilitating the activities of an organised crime group,</cite> and further arrests followed, but <cite index="6-1">a man arrested in connection with the attack was later released without charge.</cite> Gardai have said the investigation is continuing. Elliot English is survived by his sister. Funeral arrangements specifically for Elliot had not been made public at the time of writing, though a joint funeral was earlier held for his parents and two brothers.