Appeal for witnesses after cyclist dies in hit and run

A man in his 40s died in a hit-and-run incident in Co Kerry.

The incident happened on the country road between Gneeveguilla and Killarney in the townland of Scrahan Fada some time between 8.15am and 10.15am yesterday.

Gardaí said the victim, a man in his early 40s named locally as Paud O’Leary from Gneeveguilla, had left home to go for a cycle, as was his routine.

“When he did not come back, his family became concerned and some local people went out looking for him,” said Insp Gerry Lacey.

“They found him in a ditch on the side of the road.”

He was declared dead at the scene.

The road was closed off for a number of hours for the scene to be examined.

Anyone with information on the incident can contact Kanturk Garda Station on 029 20680 or the Garda confidential telephone line on 1800 666111.

Meanwhile, a man in his 20s was killed yesterday when the motorcycle he was riding collided with a car on the Gort to Scarriff road at Inchaboy South in Co Galway shortly after 10am.

The motorcyclist was pronounced dead at the scene. Two people travelling in the car were taken to hospital with minor injuries.

In Donegal, gardaí are investigating a house fire which claimed the life of a 40-year-old woman on Saturday night. The blaze at Dunmore Lane, Falcarragh, was discovered at 9.30pm and the woman’s body was found in the hallway of the house. She was the sole occupant of the property.

Gardaí said there was evidence of a fire in the living room of the house and it appeared it had extinguished itself sometime earlier.

An investigation is ongoing, but a spokesperson said officers believed the incident was a tragic accident.

Meanwhile, a ferry worker was last night fighting for his life after suffering serious head injuries in a fall onboard the vessel.

The accident happened as the ferry had docked at Kilronan on the Aran Islands at 11.30am yesterday.

The man is believed to have fallen down the stairs of the boat after it had docked in Inis Mór.

He was airlifted to University Hospital Galway by the Shannon Coastguard Rescue Helicopter, where he was last night in a critical condition.