‘We lost everything’: Family thanks Leitrim community for support after tragedy

A woman living in South Leitrim has expressed her deep gratitude to the local community for rallying around her and her two children after their home was destroyed in a fire last year, which also claimed the life of their father.

Fenna Rasmussen lost her husband Lars on February 28, 2025 alongside their Aughavas home and has been rebuilding their life since. One year on, Fenna is still deeply moved by the generosity shown to her and her family.

“He died on a Friday, and that Sunday the community here rallied together for a fundraising evening at The Dugout. The whole community came together and we’re not living here for a very long time,” said Fenna.

She also expressed gratitude towards Kilbracken Arms Hotel in Carrigallen, which hosted refreshments and provided space following Lars’ celebration of life service.

Fenna is originally from Holland, and Lars was from Denmark. They moved to Aughavas with their two children, Ryder and Tatum, in late 2023.

The tragedy had an unimaginable impact on the family as they coped with the loss of Lars, their belongings and their home.

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“The house was a mess on the site with ashes, broken windows, and glass. It wasn’t safe for us to be there,” described Fenna.

Having lost everything, there was a glimmer of hope when people in the community began donating essential items to her and her children.

“They gave us clothes, food, bedding, towels. Even money came in envelopes anonymously,” said Fenna.

She recalled finding bags of these items left at her gate, many from people she still does not know, as there were no names attached.

“Everything you could think of was there because we lost everything. That made us feel really welcome in the community although we did feel that already,” added Fenna.

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The first anniversary of Lars' death was this February.

“It’s emotional for us now as it is the first anniversary. It’s a milestone. It’s life and hopefully most people never go through these things but how we are doing now is a gift of life,” shared Fenna.

Through it all, Fenna has felt a strong sense of community spirit during a time of great loss.

“The most important thing is that I’m in awe of the community. It’s not the community’s job to rally around you,” she said, adding that in Holland, people tend to live more independently and there is less of a community-centred culture.

“Here, it’s heartwarming. We really feel at home here. After what happened, I had nothing. I had the land but everything was gone.

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“People were expecting us to move back but this is our home now. We have made the right decision to stay here,” said Fenna.

A year later, she and her children continue rebuilding their lives. After the fire, their friends let them stay in their house for two weeks. They then rented a cottage and are now living in a caravan while rebuilding bit by bit on the site where their previous home burned down. Despite the adversity they have faced, they have been met with strong community support and remain extremely grateful.