Four women were killed and two people injured in a collision between a car and a pick-up truck on the Galway-Mayo border last night.
Last night’s crash occurred shortly before 8pm on the N17 between the villages of Milltown, Co Galway, north of Tuam and Ballindine, Co Mayo. The stretch of road is closed this morning, as Garda forensic experts examine the scene.
The four women who died were travelling in the same car. Three were pronounced at the scene while the fourth died at Mayo General Hospital in Castlebar. A fifth woman, who was driving the car, is in a critical condition in the hospital today.
The driver of the truck was also injured and was taken to the same hospital for treatment but has since been released.
The women were later named locally as Marie Conneely (19) from Baile na hAbhann (Ballynahown) in Connemara, Theresa Molloy (19) from Leitir Mór (Lettermore), Sarah Byrne (20) from Headford and Sorcha Rose McLaughlin (19) from Mulgannon in Co Wexford.
The driver of the car was named as Michelle O’Donnell (21) from Kilronan on Inishmore in the Aran Islands.
It is understood all of those killed were studying arts at NUI Galway.
Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy today offered his condolences to the families involved.
“These are difficult times and An Garda Siochána are out making every effort to prevent deaths and tragedies like what happened last night, real tragedies, to try and prevent as many as possible," he said. "Road deaths are coming down as we speak today. There’s 40 less killed than last year but we can still work hard and improve on that."
Parish priest Fr Michael Kenny was called to the scene at about 8pm last night, shortly after the collision.
“I went to the N17, halfway between Tuam and Milltown, on a notorious bend in the road,” he said. "I found two cars crashed - one was a pick-up truck, the other a Renault car which had the bodies of three young girls. An horrific sight.”
Fr Kenny remained at the scene for more than four hours administering last rites and supporting emergency crews as they removed the bodies from the wreckage. “The weather was terrible. There was terrible rain and the road conditions were pathetic,” he said.
In a statement, NUI Galway said: “The untimely death of our students has shocked the university community and we wish to extend our deepest sympathies to all of their families, classmates and friends at this time.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the fifth student involved.”
The deaths brought to six the number of fatalities on the roads yesterday, after earlier crashes claimed the lives of a woman in Galway and a man in Longford.
In the North, a man died in a collision between a car and an articulated truck at about 2am today on the Shore Road, Jordanstown, Belfast. Two other people were taken to hospital.
Drivers have been warned to exercise care across Ireland today following heavy rainfall and very wet roads, with flooding in parts.