A 41-year-old man with a lifelong history of epilepsy has been sentenced to seven years in prison, with the final three years suspended, for causing the deaths of two baby sisters near Tuam two years ago.

There were harrowing scenes of grief as heartbroken parents John and Michelle Gilmore watched their two “little princesses” being laid to rest yesterday.

Children’s Minister Frances Fitzgerald has described the horrific crash which claimed the lives of two young sisters on Sunday afternoon as the “worst nightmare” of every parent.

A Sunday afternoon stroll in the autumn sunshine turned into tragedy yesterday when a two-year-old girl and her 12-week-old sister were killed when they were knocked down by a car.