“We all know them all.”
Dermot Muldoon is speaking outside Muldoon’s shop and petrol station in the village of Drumconrath, Co Meath, about 20km (12.4 miles) from the road where three men and two women in their 20s died in a two-car collision at Gibstown, Co Louth, on Saturday, just after 9pm. Another man, who lives near Drumconrath, remains in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Drogheda for treatment of serious injuries.
One of the deceased, Alan McCluskey (23) is from the area. He and four others died when the Volkswagen Golf car they were travelling in collided with a Toyota Landcruiser on the L3168, just off the M1 at junction 16.
Chloe McGee (23) and Shay Duffy (21) from Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan; Dylan Commins (23) from Ardee; and Chloe Hipson (21) from Lanarkshire, Scotland also died.
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A man and woman, also in their 20s, who were in the Landcruiser, were taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
There was a sombre mood at Muldoon’s shop on Sunday as people gathered after mass in St Peter and Paul’s Church, where the priest, Fr Finian Connaughton, had shared the shock and upset.
“It’s absolutely devastating,” said Muldoon.
He said two of the young men in the crash came from “out the road” and were “hard-working, progressive young chaps”, he said.
A man from Carrickmacross, out for a cycle who had stopped at Muldoon’s shop, said he knew the family of one of the decreased young women.
“It’s very, very sad.”
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Outside the church, people stood in small groups discussing the terrible news.
“The mood around the parish at the minute, as you can imagine with the tragedy that is after happening, is very, very sad,” said a man who did not want to give his name, standing with two friends at the entrance to the church grounds.
“Five young people. We knew three of the lads. It’s shocking, shocking sad. We’re just thinking of the families at this sad time. You just don’t know what to say.”
“At mass, people were dumbfounded and shocked at what has happened,” said local Sinn Féin councillor, Michael Gallagher.
“It’s devastating news to the village, and people are shocked and devastated and really words cannot explain. They would be two lads who could be very well known in Drumconrath, two respectable families and two respectable young lads.”
The family of one of the deceased was involved in the running of the parish and the local school, he said.
“Really people are in a state of shock and all of us will pray for the families involved and hope they can get over this terrible tragedy.”
A young woman emerging from Muldoon’s shop said she knew one of the deceased from attending the same primary school, as does a young man stopped to put air into the tyres of his car.
“There’s just shock, shock about the place, devastation,” says the young man. “It’s really, really sad,” says the young woman. Neither wanted to give their names.
