An 87-year-old woman has been treated in hospital in Cork after her house was set on fire early this morning in what gardaí believe was a case of mistaken identity.
A garda and a member of the Garda Reserve were also treated for smoke inhalation after they broke into the woman's home and rescued her.
Ms O'Gorman and the garda and reserve garda have been released from hospital.
Ms O'Gorman, who lives alone, was in bed at the house at around 4.30am this morning when a man poured liquid - possibly petrol - through her letter box and set fire to it.
The alarm was raised at around 5am when smoke was seen coming from Ms O'Gorman's home at Murrough's Hill, off Blarney Street, in the city.
Gardaí at Gurranabraher were alerted and broke down the front door of the house.
They rescued her from the upstairs bedroom and all three were taken to the Mercy University Hospital in the city.
The house was substantially damaged by smoke.
Gardaí are appealing for people who were in the Blarney Street/Murrough Lane area between 4.30am and 5.15am to contact them at Gurranabraher Garda Station.
They say a man wearing a black beanie hat, brown jacket and jeans was seen in the area at the time.
