Man and two women killed in three separate crashes around Ireland

The number of people killed on Irish roads in the first five days of the year has climbed to seven following the death of a woman pedestrian in her 20s in Co Donegal.

Gardaí attended the scene of the most recent incident to happen on the country’s roads on Friday evening. The incident occurred on the N56 road at Illistrin and involved a car and a pedestrian. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene, where her body remained late on Friday night.

The N56 was closed between Letterkenny and Kilmacrennan to allow a technical examination of the scene to take place on Saturday. Gardaí are appealing for witness who were travelling in the Illistrin area between 6pm and 7.15pm, including those who may have dashcam footage.

Earlier on Friday, a woman in her 80s was killed in a separate incident in Co Meath.

The woman was the driver of a car involved in a collision with a minibus on the R156 at Scarriff Bridge, Batterstown at around midday. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver of the minibus, a man in his 50s, and a passenger were brought to Midland Regional Hospital in Mullingar where they are being treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

The woman’s body was subsequently removed from the scene and a postmortem examination will take place in due course.

The site of the crash has been preserved for a technical examination by Garda Forensic Collision Investigations and the road is currently closed.

Elsewhere on Friday, a man in his 30s died following a collision in Co Mayo between two cars on the R331 at Belladaff, Tagheen, near Claremorris at approximately 7.45am.

He was the driver and sole occupant of one of the cars and was pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver of the other car, a woman in her 20s, was taken to Mayo University Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

The road between Claremorris and Hollymount remained closed on Friday afternoon while a technical examination was conducted and local diversions were put in place.

Gardaí have appealed for witnesses and for road users with camera footage taken between 7.30am and 8am to make contact.

Anyone with any information can contact Claremorris Garda station on (094) 937 2080, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any station.

A similar camera footage and witness appeal has been issued for a fatal collision between a truck and a car on the N22 Cork-Killarney road near Glenflesk on Thursday.

The woman who died in the incident near Glenflesk, has been named locally as Mary Walsh, née Fitzgerald.

Ms Walsh (52) was a native of Faha, west of Killarney, and was a mother of one. Gardaí and emergency services including fire and ambulance services attended.

Ms Walsh was the driver of the car and was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the articulated truck was treated for shock.

The N22 road between Glenflesk and Lissivigeen remained closed overnight for technical examination with diversions in place on Friday morning.

Killarney Municipal District Independent councillor Martin Grady, a member of the fire service in Killarney, extended his condolences to the family and noted that Co Kerry had nine road fatalities last year.

“It is a terrible tragedy, the first fatality on the roads in Kerry this year. My condolences are to the family and local community,” he said.

The first person to die on Irish roads in 2024 was Keith Higginbotham (27) of Blackditch, Nurney, Co Kildare. He was a passenger in a car which crashed on the M7 at Curraghfarm, between Kildare town and Newbridge, on New Year’s Day.

The following day motorcyclist Gary Murphy (48), a native of Cavan town, died following a crash in Co Cavan.

Also on Tuesday, a woman was killed and two young children were seriously injured when the car in which they were travelling was in collision with a van on the R148 at Cloncurry, near Enfield.

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