Wednesday 23 September 2015. Cromcastle Court fire. Sandra Ivers and her dog Tyson from the flat above.

Daniel Farrell and his partner Lorraine Smith rescued a woman from the fire at Cromcastle Court

A hero who rescued an unconscious woman after her home caught fire has turned out to be a homeless man.

Daniel Farrell (41) climbed through the bedroom window of the burning apartment in Dublin to carry the 45-year-old woman to safety.

His courageous deed saved her life and she is now recovering in hospital.

Mr Farrell has no home and spent several nights over the past two weeks sleeping in a tent in a Dublin park with his partner Lorraine Smith (36).

Firemen who arrived at the scene commended him for his swift response in saving the woman's life, he said.

Billowing

The alarm was raised shortly before midnight on Tuesday when smoke was seen billowing from the ground-floor apartment at Cromcastle Court in Coolock.

Mr Farrell and Ms Smith were walking in the vicinity and ran to the building.

A number of people were trying to break windows in the front of the apartment and Mr Farrell went around the back of the building where others were trying to break windows in a bedroom. Mr Farrell borrowed a hammer and smashed a rear window and climbed into the occupant's bedroom which was full of black smoke.

"I got down on my knees and made my way to the bed and found a woman lying unconscious. I managed to lift her in my arms and carry her to the broken window. I got her out the window where Lorraine and two men carried her and laid her on the grass outside," he told the Herald.

"I went back in through the window to check if anyone else was inside. When I opened the bedroom door, I saw the kitchen and sitting room were blazing in flames so I got out," he said.

"I think my adrenalin helped me," he said.

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An adult daughter of the woman hugged Mr Farrell at the scene yesterday when informed he had saved her mother.

Neighbour Mark Byrne, who had tried to gain entry through a front window, praised the rescuer's brave actions.

Flames

"He could have lost his own life," said Mr Byrne.

Neighbour Sandra Ivers said "It was very brave. The flames were mad."

Mr Farrell said he and his partner were hoping to get social housing after they became homeless when a landlord needed the accommodation for a relative.

He said other landlords would not accept rent supplement and the couple ended up in hostels. But they have tried to avoid hostels as they feared drug use going on in them.

As a former drug-user who received help to stop taking drugs, Mr Farrell did not want to be surrounded by drug-taking behaviour so he ended up sleeping in a tent in Priorswood Park in Coolock with his girlfriend, he said.

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