Three people were killed in a collision between a car and an articulated truck on the main Dublin/Limerick road about a mile from the village of Castletown near Mountrath, Co Laois, at about 9 p.m. last night.
The dead are a couple in their 50s and their daughter, who was in her 20s. Their names are not being released until relatives have been contacted.
They had been on holidays from London and were believed to be travelling to the man's family home in Co Limerick in a hired car. They were pronounced dead at the scene and their bodies were removed to Portlaoise General Hospital.
The driver of the truck was injured and was also taken to hospital, where his condition was described as "comfortable" early this morning.
Rescue workers were at the scene for almost two hours and the accident caused severe traffic congestion. Gardai said traffic was heavy at the time of the accident and there was heavy fog in the area.