Weekend off to bad start as two people killed on road

Two people were killed in road accidents yesterday at the start of the May Bank holiday weekend.

An elderly man died following a collision involving two cars and a truck at Birdhill in Ballyhane, Co. Clare at 6.30pm yesterday evening.

A pedestrian in his sixties was killed when he was hit by a lorry at Ballycahill, Roscrea Road, Templemore, Co Tipperary yesterday afternoon.

Meanwhile, thousands of motorists heading south for the bank holiday weekend face huge delays caused by a convoy of huge low-loaders carrying sugar storage tanks from Carlow to Cork.

The usual slow pace of bank holiday traffic is being exacerbated by this convoy which is travelling at less then 5km/h (3mph) and is making slower progress than expected, according to AA Roadwatch.

The convoy left the disused Irish Sugar premises in Carlow on Thursday morning to transport 1,000 tonnes of equipment to the firm's plant in Mallow and was expected to reach its destination by Sunday evening.

However, the convoy fell almost five hours behind schedule on Thursday and there were more delays yesterday.

Diversions were put in place in an attempt to stop traffic becoming trapped behind the giant tanks. However, alternative routes were becoming very congested last night.

Today, the convoy is due to travel from Cashel to Mitchelstown (along the N8, R 687, N24 through New Inn, Rathkeevin, and Cahir) beginning at 7am. Tomorrow they should move from Mitchelstown to Mallow (along the N73, N72, N20, R638, R619 through Mallow and Quarterstown).

Meanwhile, the Garda and the National Safety Council are urging motorists on all routes to slow down, wear seatbelts and never drink and drive, in a bid to curb the rising number of road deaths.

Twenty-two people died and 516 were injured during the past five May bank holiday weekends.

Extra gardaí will be on duty on the roads over the weekend with checkpoints on national primary routes, particularly at times when there is greatest movement of traffic. A total of 119 people have died on the roads so far this year, the same number for this period last year. Since the beginning of the year 57 drivers, 23 passengers, 20 pedestrians, 15 motorcyclists and four cyclists have died in road accidents.

Driving conditions could be hazardous, with heavy rains expected at times over the weekend, according to Met Éireann. The recent spell of dry, sunny weather is due to come to end in the early hours of this morning with rain coming in from the south overnight, Met Éireann forecaster David Rogers said. "The rain from the south will affect all parts of the country and will be quite heavy in places."