Tributes paid to woman who died after falling from bus and hit by passing car

Amanda Kinsella (27) was in Donegal for wedding and on trip home from Bahrain

Amanda Kinsella was a keen Gaelic football player both in Carlow and in the Middle East. Photograph: Bennekerry-Tinryland ladies football Facebook page
Amanda Kinsella was a keen Gaelic football player both in Carlow and in the Middle East. Photograph: Bennekerry-Tinryland ladies football Facebook page

Tributes have been paid to a 27-year-old woman who died when she fell from a bus and was hit by a passing car.

Amanda Kinsella, a teacher from Bennekerry, Co Carlow, was home on holidays from Bahrain in the Middle East. She was in Donegal for a friend's wedding.

The incident occurred in Donegal town at about 3.45pm on Friday at Ardnawark in Barnesmore Gap.

She suffered serious injuries and was airlifted to Beaumont Hospital in Dublin, where she died later on Friday evening.

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Ms Kinsella was a keen Gaelic football player both in Carlow and in the Middle East and the clubs she was involved with have posted tributes to her memory.

She began her playing career with the Palatine GAA Club in Co Carlow as an underage player.

The club described her as a “beautiful person with the most radiant personality and lit up any room she entered. She was an outstanding juvenile player for us, right up to under-12 level and her skill, endeavour and determination on the field of play was a joy to behold.

“Amanda wasn’t just a high achiever on the field of play, her ambition and drive saw her accomplish so much in her all too short life. She was home on holiday from her teaching post in Bahrain when this cruelest of accidents occurred and we are simply heartbroken.

“Amanda had so much more to give and it is truly heartbreaking to see her light go out at the tender age of 27.”

She moved to play senior football with the Bennekerry-Tinryland ladies GAA team that won the Carlow senior county three-in-a-row between 2015 and 2017.

Flags flew at half mast at Tinryland GFC over the weekend and a minute’s silence was observed prior to the senior challenge match against Arles-Kilcruise on Sunday morning.

The club posted: "Our hearts are broken. We can't begin to describe how beautiful, talented and truly amazing she was. We offer our deepest sympathy's to her parents Mono and Patricia and siblings Aisling and David. A superstar 100 times over, we will never ever forget her."

The Arabian Celts GAA club described her as a “fantastic person – on and off the field, kind, funny and full of fun and adventure. She will be sadly missed by all in Bahrain who were lucky enough to know her.”

Bennekerry National School described her as a " fantastically talented student who is remembered by our staff for her bubbly, outgoing and fun-loving personality".

Ms Kinsella is survived by her parents, Michael and Patricia, her brother, David, sister, Aishling, and her partner, Brendan Galvin.

Funeral details will be announced on Monday.

Ronan McGreevy

Ronan McGreevy

Ronan McGreevy is a news reporter with The Irish Times