A one-year-old boy has been killed and his three-year-old sister injured in a head-on car crash on the N20 Limerick to Cork road.
Their mother was also seriously injured in the collision which occurred on a straight stretch of road on the Charleville side of O’Rourke’s Cross in an area known as Rockhill Cross.
Their Renault Clio car collided with a Citroen Berlingo van, travelling in the opposite direction towards Limerick.
There were three men travelling in the van, which was towing a trailer of calves.
The baby boy was pronounced dead at the Mid Western Regional Hospital in Limerick. His four-year-old sister was also rushed to hospital and her condition was described as "critical".
The mother of the children was said to be in a stable condition at the same hospital.
One of the passengers of the van is also recovering at the Mid Western Regional Hospital in Limerick where his condition was described as "stable".
It's understood the mother and two children are from the Charleville area of Co Cork while the men travelling in the van are from Patrickswell in Co Limerick.
The road where the tragic collision has been closed and traffic diversions are in place.
Anyone with information about the crash is asked to contact Bruff Garda Station on (061) 382940 or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111.