Extreme weather conditions in several parts of the country throughout Sunday left multiple drivers abandoning their vehicles in snow, with counties Limerick, Tipperary, Cork, Kerry and Kilkenny hit especially hard.
Gardaí, Met Éireann and local authorities at the weekend issued repeated warnings to drivers to take extreme care, or avoid driving, as snow and heavy rain made conditions dangerous. In Wicklow, the Sally Gap was closed on Sunday evening, with a number of vehicles abandoned in the area.
While there had been no fatalities reported up to Sunday night, some roads were impassable due to snowfall. Limerick County Council reported heavy snow on the N21 at Barna Gap, which it worked to keep open.
Roads in Miltown Malbay in Co Clare were also described as impassable, as were roads in Abbeyfeale, Co Limerick, and between Clonmel and Kilkenny, with conditions especially poor in north Kilkenny. In Limerick, the Glin to Athea road was described as very dangerous due to a large build-up of snow by Sunday afternoon.
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Driving conditions were also reported as being difficult in Tipperary Town while several incidents were reported on the M60, including a collision eastbound near Tyrrellspass. Heavy snow was also reported on the M7 in Co Kildare.
The N70 Milltown to Tinnahalla road was closed for a time but Kerry County Council announced early on Sunday it had reopened, with snow ploughs and gritting crews working to keep the roads open in other parts of the county.
However, the N22 from Killarney to Farranfore and Tralee was closed on Sunday afternoon after a truck jackknifed. Although the road was later reopened, it was down to a single lane, with the council urging drivers to avoid the area after several vehicles were abandoned due to the snow.
Cork County Council reported heavy snowfall, of up to 30cm, in the Rockchapel area by Sunday afternoon, with council crews “treating priority routes in north Cork including the N20 near Charleville and Dromina”.
The council also reported “dangerous driving conditions on the N72 Mallow to Killarney road west of Ballymaquirke” while the N21 was blocked due to snow between Abbeyfeale and Castleisland.
There was also flooding in Cork on the R599 at Agahamilla in Clonakilty and at Ring Road-Faxbridge, Clonakilty. Gardaí said the “weather and road conditions in Charleville, Mallow and Kanturk” were “extremely poor”, with snow continuing to fall amid a heavy build-up. Vehicles were also abandoned on the N20 between Cork and Limerick.
Meanwhile, a woman who was killed in a road traffic crash in Co Kilkenny on Friday has been named as Mary Grennan, a married pensioner with adult children and 12 grandchildren.
Ms Grennan (75) was the driver in one of two cars involved in a crash on the N25 at Luffany, Slieverue, and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Her remains were removed to the mortuary at University Hospital Waterford, where a postmortem examination was due to take place as part of the Garda investigation into the fatal crash. Ms Grennan is survived by her husband, Paddy, and five children, John, Bridget, James, Declan and Patrick.
The driver of the other vehicle, a man in his 30s, and his female passenger (20s), were taken for treatment to the same hospital. However, their injuries from the crash, which occurred on Friday at 5.50pm, were not believed to be life-threatening.
Gardaí in Waterford station have appealed for witnesses to come forward. They are keen to speak to any road user on the N25 between Luffany roundabout, Slieverue, and Glenmore from 5:30pm and 6:15pm to make any dashcam footage available to them.
Ms Grennan was the second person to die on the roads since the start of the year. A man in his 60s suffered fatal injuries last Thursday night just before midnight when the vehicle he was driving hit a pole on East Wall Road, Dublin 1.
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