A man in his forties who died in a single vehicle incident shortly after 1.30am on Saturday morning at Ballynamona in Kinsale, Co Cork has been named locally as Finbarr Coleman.
Mr Coleman, who was a rear seat passenger in the car, was pronounced dead at the scene. His body was removed from the scene to the mortuary at Cork University Hospital where a postmortem examination will take place. Mr Coleman was from the Dunderrow area. He was one of six people in the car at the time of the incident.
The group were returning from a road bowling event in Kinsale when the incident occurred.
The Chairman of Ból Chumann na hÉireann (The Irish Road Bowling Association), Willie Murphy, said that the passing of Mr Coleman was a “tragic event”.
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“Finbarr was coming from a happy occasion and then the saddest of all things occurred. He was coming from a score (bowling match) near Kinsale. A lad he was travelling with had won the final of a bowling competition. He (Finbarr) was a passenger and they had an accident on the way home.
“He was just forty years of age and from Innishannon. He was involved in road bowling all his life. He played football years ago but road bowling was his game now. It just shows that ultimately sport is only sport. It is terrible news to get.”
A youth county final in road bowling which was due to take place today in Newcestown, Co Cork was cancelled in the aftermath of the tragedy.
The other occupants of the car escaped serious injuries in the incident. It is understood the car went out of control, hit a sign and then a tree stump.
The driver of the car, a man in his thirties, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of offences under the Road Traffic Act. He is being detained at a Garda station in Cork under the provisions of Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984.
The death of Mr Coleman brings to 109 the number of people who have died on Irish roads so far this year.
Gardaí are appealing for any witnesses to this collision to come forward. Any road users who may have camera footage (including dashcam) and were travelling in the Ballynamona area between 1.15am and 1.45am on Saturday morning are asked to come forward.
Anyone with any information should contact Bandon Garda station on 023 885 2200, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda station.
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