Motorists have been reminded of the “responsibilities of the road” ahead of the bank holiday weekend, after two men were killed in separate road incidents on Wednesday.
A man in his 30s was killed in a single-vehicle crash involving a car, at Inishammon, Smithboro, Co Monaghan, on Wednesday evening.
The incident, on the R187 between Monaghan and Rosslea, occurred at about 7.30pm.
The driver and sole occupant of the car was pronounced dead at the scene.
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His body was transferred to the Our Lady’s Hospital in Navan, Co Meath, for a postmortem. The local coroner has been notified.
The road remains closed pending technical examination by Garda forensic investigators.
Meanwhile, a male pedestrian in his 70s died in Co Laois after he was knocked down by a car on Main Street, Abbeyleix, at about 7pm on Wednesday.
The man was brought to Midland Regional Hospital in Tullamore where he was later pronounced dead.
The road was closed for technical examination but has since reopened.
No other injuries were reported, gardaí said on Thursday.
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Gardaí are appealing to anyone who may have witnessed either incident to contact them.
The incidents bring the number of people who have died on the State’s roads this year to 11.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda station.
Speaking at the An Garda Síochana road safety campaign ahead of St Brigid’s Bank Holiday weekend on Thursday, Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Seán Canney urged people to driver safely.
“Last year we had far too many collisions with the loss of life and life changing injuries for people. We’re at the start of the new year, we need to make resolutions.”
He asked people to put away their phone once they get into the car and appealed to passengers not to distract the driver.
“The driver of the car is for the driver to get from A to B safely. It’s not to get there as quickly as possible, so don’t speed. It’s not to drive under the influence of drink or drugs.”
He said safety should be considered as the “primary objective” of driving.
“Too many families are grieving today as a result of all of the collisions we’ve had over the last year. Way too many.”
He said drivers need to reduce speed and understand the consequences.
In 2025, 188 people died on Irish roads, the largest number of fatalities in over a decade.
Gardaí will be carrying out an enhanced road safety traffic enforcement campaign across St Brigid’s bank holiday weekend, which will run from Thursday, January 29th until February 3rd.
Roads Policing and Community Engagement Assistant Commissioner Catharina Gunne said “with all bank holiday weekends, we’re going to see increased volumes of traffic on our roads”.
She said gardaí will be out in force preventing and detecting offences such as driving under the influence of drink or drugs, seatbelt enforcement and speeding.
In particular, gardaí are asking road users to be mindful of the weather conditions and to drive at a speed that is appropriate to those conditions, be mindful of vulnerable road users, particularly cyclists and pedestrians and are appealing to motorists not to use handheld mobile devices.
In the last five years, gardaí have issued 110,000 fixed charge penalty notices for the use of mobile phones while driving.
There has been an increase of more than 30 per cent in fixed charge notices for holding a mobile phone from 2022 to 2025.
“We are asking you not to pick up the mobile phone, read a text, or look at content on any mobile device while driving, because you’re putting not alone your life, but the lives of passengers and other road users in danger,” assistant commissioner Gunne said.
“I’d ask, is that message, that call, that app, more important than a life?”
