Man dies and seven injured in three-car collision

One young man was killed and seven people were hospitalised early yesterday following a three-car collision near Killarney, Co…

One young man was killed and seven people were hospitalised early yesterday following a three-car collision near Killarney, Co Kerry.

In all, seven people, five men and two women, lost their lives in road accidents over and since the weekend.

Gardaí said the dead man in the Kerry accident was aged 21 and travelling alone. The car crossed the road near a bend and struck an on-coming BMW driven by a Polish woman.

He was named locally as Jos O'Brien (21), of Ross, Keel, Castlemaine. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

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The accident occurred at Gortroe on the main Killarney-Killorglin road. The two occupants of the BMW, both non-nationals, were taken to hospital.

Five friends of Mr O'Brien travelling in a car immediately behind him were also involved in the accident and taken to Kerry General Hospital.

Killarney gardaí said there had been "a huge impact", and it was lucky there were not more fatalities.

Residents a half mile from the scene were woken by the sound of the impact.

A number of the injured sustained serious but not life-threatening injuries. Two people remained in hospital last night, and their condition was described as comfortable.

Units of the fire brigade were called to the scene, and were yesterday joined by local authority workers trying to clear the road of oil and engine fluid. Motorists were warned that the surface remained slippery.

Gardaí in Galway are investigating a fatal road accident which occurred at Derrydonnell, Oranmore, on the main Galway- Dublin road at about 11.30pm on Sunday. A number of cars were in the collision which resulted in the death of Michael Mongan (39), of Sliabh Rua, Ballybane.

Following the accident, traffic was diverted at Mother Hubbard's, Moyvilla, towards Athenry and Clarinbridge

A woman, Marie O'Sullivan (58), of Coolkenno, Tullow, Co Carlow, died yesterday after being involved in a head-on collision at Rathvilly on Saturday afternoon.

The man who was killed in a traffic accident in Co Limerick at the weekend has been named.

Brendan McMahon (41), from Kildimo, Co Limerick, died after his car hit the wall of a private house on the N69 near Askeaton.

The accident happened at around 7pm on Saturday, and no other vehicle was involved.

Mr McMahon was taken to the Mid-Western Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

The man who died when his car hit a pole in Virginia, Co Cavan, early on Sunday, was named as Martin Friary (20), from Tubrid, Oldcastle, Co Meath.

The woman killed in a two-car collision in Kilhara, between Thurles and Tipperary, on Sunday was named as Monica O'Brien (43), from Patrickswell, Carrigatogher, Nenagh, Co Tipperary.

Meanwhile, gardaí in Mullingar, Co Westmeath, are following a number of lines of inquiry into the death of a Dublin man outside the town at the weekend.

Paul Fitzgerald (37) was killed when he was struck by a car while walking on the westbound carriageway of the Mullingar bypass at about 9.55pm on Saturday.

An Irish-registered Opel Omega car was abandoned at the scene, and it is thought the driver escaped on foot or received a lift from a passerby.

The dead man was a native of Coolock, Dublin, but was resident at Riverdale, Raharney, Co Westmeath, for a number of years.

Gardaí are appealing to anybody who may have seen anything unusual to come forward.