Man (26) dies after car enters canal in Co Cavan

Incident occurred on Saturday evening at location on Ballyconnell to Ballinamore Road

Gardaí  at the scene at the Ballinamore canal, in Co Cavan, where a man in his 20s  died  when the car he was travelling in entered the water.  Photograph: Brian Lawless/PA Wire
Gardaí at the scene at the Ballinamore canal, in Co Cavan, where a man in his 20s died when the car he was travelling in entered the water. Photograph: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

A 26-year-old man died after the car he was traveling in plunged into a canal in Co Cavan.

The incident happened near Ballyheady Bridge along the Ballyconnell-Ballinamore Road at about 6.30pm on Saturday.

The vehicle carrying three men entered the water, at Woodford River.

It is understood the man who died was a back seat passenger and other two men - the driver and a front seat passenger - managed to escape without any serious physical injuries.

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The two other men were both aged in their 20s and have addresses in Dublin.

One of them was taken to Cavan General Hospital as a precaution.

The deceased is believed to be from the small village of Kilteel, outside Naas, in Co Kildare.

A fatal incident has taken place at a  location along the Ballyconnell-Ballinamore Road. Illustration: Google Maps
A fatal incident has taken place at a location along the Ballyconnell-Ballinamore Road. Illustration: Google Maps

His body was recovered from the water sometime after the collision.

The three men were thought to be visiting family in the Ballyconnell area.

Fr Michael Comer of the Eadestown parish, which includes Kilteel, said he understood the victim was from the village but parishioners at mass on Sunday had yet to learn of his identity.

Kildare county councillor Bill Clear said the thoughts of people in the area were going out to the grieving family of the victim.

“What can you say in these instances? Everybody is just thinking about the parents at this time, it was a terrible accident,” he said.

“The local community don’t really know what happened yet.”

Peter McVitty, a local Cavan county councillor in Ballyconnell, said it appeared to be “a tragic accident”.

Garda forensic collision investigators spent the day examining the scene of the incident.

The road was closed to traffic and local diversions were put in place.

Peter Smyth

Peter Smyth is a digital production journalist at The Irish Times