13 people killed in weekend road accidents

Thirteen people died in a weekend of tragedy on Ireland’s roads.

In the worst accident, an elderly couple and teenage twin boys were among six killed in a head-on collision on the main Cork to Bandon road.

The accident happened when a Toyota Corolla driven by Paul O’Donovan, 22, was in collision with a Volkswagen Passat driven by Declan O’Donoghue.

Mr O’Donovan was killed along with his passengers, 15-year-old twins Gavin and Cian O’Sullivan and their friend Conor Coleman, 15. Mr O’Donovan was from Banninacurra, Kinsale and the boys lived in Dunderrow, Kinsale.

Mr O’Donoghue survived the accident and was today in a critical condition in Cork University Hospital.

But his uncle and aunt, Denis and Nuala McCarthy, from Clonakilty were killed.

Police said the accident, at 9.30pm on Saturday, was one of the worst they had seen.

Also on Saturday Catherine Walsh, 31, from Graiguecullen, Co Carlow, died when the car in which she was a passenger went out of control on Ballybrittas Road, near Portarlington, and hit a stone wall.

Later in the day a man was killed when in collision with a car on a dual carriageway in Naas.

A man has been arrested and detained by police after Gerard Doyle, 35, from Saggart, Co Dublin, died.

Another youth was arrested and later released on bail following a hit-and-run at 3.45am on Sunday in which Anthony Quirke, 28, from Coolcullin, Co Kilkenny, was found dead in the road.

A 65-year-old woman also died on Sunday when she was hit by a car on South Douglas Road, one of Cork’s busiest roads.

The accident happened on Saturday but she died the next day in Cork University Hospital. She has not been named.

A Briton died in a three-car collision on the N3 between Navan and Kells on Sunday.

The woman, who has not been named, was a passenger in a car at the time. She was dead on arrival on Our Lady’s Hospital, Navan.

And in two separate accidents in Co Antrim, two men died.

The weekend’s accidents bring the death toll on the Republic’s roads to 299 this year.

A Gardai spokeswoman said: ‘‘As ever we are appealing for people to be cautious on the roads. People need to watch their speed at all times and never drink and drive.

‘‘People should always wear seatbelts and vehicles should always be well maintained.’’