Five fatalities on Irish roads over Christmas period

THE number of people killed on Irish roads in 2011 has risen to 182 following a number of fatal accidents over the holiday period.

Two males and a female died in separate road accidents over the past 48 hours, bringing the total killed since December 23 to five.

A 59-year-old woman died following a collision between an SUV and a car in which she was driving at 4.30pm yesterday on the Kilcullen to Athy Road in Co Kildare.

Her 16-year-old female passenger was seriously injured. The male driver of the SUV is in his 30s and his female passenger is in her 20s. She also received serious injuries. All were taken to Naas General Hospital.

Gardaí in Limerick are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a pedestrian who was fatally injured when struck by a vehicle at Dooradoyle at about 7.45pm on Monday.

Michael Doran from Templemore, Co Tipperary was a patient at the Mid-Western Regional Hospital at the time of the accident. The 69-year-old was rushed to the hospital in a critical condition by ambulance but died later.

In Mullingar, Co Westmeath, 23-year-old Aaron Moore from Celbridge, Co Kildare, was knocked down by a car on the westbound side of the N4 Dublin-Sligo road at about 4.45am yesterday. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Seán Malone, 19, of Kilcready, Mullinavat, and Martin Duggan, 20, of Main St, Ballyhale, Co Kilkenny, also died after a single-car crash at Mullinavat on December 23.

Despite the latest fatalities, 2011 is set to be the first year with an annual road death toll of less than 200 since records began 50 years ago.

Meanwhile, the body of a man recovered from a harbour in Scotland on St Stephen’s Day has been confirmed as that of a missing Irish fisherman. Philip Toland, 34, from Co Donegal, was last seen near Ullapool pier early on Christmas Day.