Three lives claimed on roads over holiday weekend

THREE bank holiday weekend road accidents brought the death toll on Irish roads past the figure of 270 this year.

An elderly priest was among the victims, when his car crashed with a truck near Horse and Jockey in Co Tipperary on Friday evening. He was named as 83-year-old Fr Rodger Kinane from Toureen, Rossmore, Co Tipperary, the driver of the car which collided with the truck at 6.45pm.

A teenager lost his life less than two hours later when the car he was driving went off the road near Gorey, Co Wexford.

Mark Gilligan, a 17-year-old from Ballinabarney, Gorey, was the only person in the car, which left the road at Annaghmore, Hollyfort at 8.30pm on Friday.

The cause of the tragedy is being investigated by gardaí who have asked any witnesses to contact them in Gorey at 053-943 0690.

The latest weekend fatality happened in the early hours of yesterday morning near Tulla in Co Clare.

A 29-year-old driver died after his car hit a ditch and turned over just after 3am, about 3km from the village on the road to Gort.

He was named locally last night as Patrick Murphy from the Maghera/Clooney area of Co Clare.

The scene was preserved for technical examination by traffic investigation gardaí and the man’s remains were brought to Limerick Regional Hospital for a postmortem examination.

Gardaí at Killaloe have appealed for witnesses who travelled the Tulla to Gort Road any time about 3am yesterday to contact them at 061-376242.

The bank holiday tragedies bring the number of people killed in Irish roads so far this year to 271, more than 30 fewer than this time last year.