Two men killed in Cork and Kerry road crashes are named
Jake Mulcahy died after a crash on the N25 at Ballyedekin, near Midleton. Picture: Chani Anderson
The two men killed in crashes in Cork and Kerry were named locally last night.
Vincent O’Doherty, aged 20, from Dirha, outside Listowel, died in a two-car collision on the N69 at Banemore, Listowel, at around 9pm on Wednesday. He was a passenger in one of the vehicles. Three other people were also injured but their conditions are not life-threatening.
Mr O’Doherty graduated from the Salesian Agricultural College in Pallaskenry, Co Limerick, last November. His death comes just five weeks after two of the college's students — Darragh Dullea from Clonakilty, Co Cork, and Cillian Kirwan from Pilltown, Co Kilkenny —died when they were passengers in a car that crashed on the N69 near Askeaton, Co Limerick.
In East Cork, the community of Killeagh was in mourning for local man Jake Mulcahy, aged 19, who died following a collision between a car and an articulated lorry on the N25 at Ballyedekin, near Midleton, shortly before 7.30am on Thursday.
The priest who attended the fatal accident near Midleton on Thursday morning has implored people to take care on the roads as this year’s death toll continues to climb.
Fr Jim Killeen of Midleton parish attended the scene of the incident which claimed the life of Mr Mulcahy.
He told the Irish Examiner that he is offering prayers for the deceased man and his family and friends.
He added: “I would just appeal to people to take more care on the roads.” The fatality is the second in the Midleton area in less than a week.
In the early hours of Sunday morning, a pedestrian died after a road traffic incident on the N25 eastbound at Water Rock in Midleton at about 1.30am on Sunday morning, when the man was hit by a car.
Meanwhile, Listowel Fine Gael councillor Mike Kennelly said that the area was shocked by the death of Mr O’Doherty from close to town.
Mr Kennelly said he knew Mr O’Doherty, who had graduated last November from the Salesian Agricultural College in Pallaskenry in Limerick. He said: “This is a terrible tragedy. He was a very quiet, gentle boy. It is devastating.”
Gardai are calling on witnesses to both collisions to contact them.
Their deaths come as Garda Commissioner Drew Harris has issued a directive under which all uniformed gardaí must conduct 30 minutes of “high-visibility roads policing” in their shifts.
He said supervisors “will ensure compliance” of frontline members with the direction, except when responding to other emergencies.
It follows hard-hitting comments by the head of the Road Safety Authority, Liz O’Donnell, on Monday, that there needs to be a significant ramping-up of visible enforcement to combat bad driver behaviour.
"It's the missing link. It's what we need. Enforcement, enforcement, enforcement," she said.
Ms O’Donnell said that while a 20% increase in GoSafe speed cameras last year was welcome, another 20% was required this year.
The strength of the Garda Traffic Corps has fallen from 804 members in 2013 to 664 at the end of 2023.
Garda HQ told the that the commissioner has told his senior managers to direct members to conduct 30 minutes of roads policing in their shifts.
He said despite the work of gardaí to try and address driver behaviour and given the rise in fatal road traffic collisions, the organisation has to continue to adapt policing initiatives to increase safety on the roads.
He said international police forces use all police officers to focus an element of their shift on traffic policing.
“Therefore, with immediate effect, each regional assistant commissioner will utilise all uniform personnel, core and non-core, deploying them on high visibility roads policing operations, of 30 minutes’ duration in each tour of duty," the commissioner said.
“Supervisors will ensure compliance with this direction, with the exception of where exigencies of the service arise.
The commissioner said the increased presence would also support Garda efforts to detect other crimes which rely on road networks, such as criminal gangs travelling to commit burglaries, human trafficking, and drug distribution.
He pointed out that during 2023, An Garda Síochána issued more than 141,000 fixed charge notices (FCNs).
In the first two months of 2024, there were:
- 6,418 FCNs issued for speed offences, with a further 14,835 issued by safety camera vans;
- 7,647 checkpoints;
- 878 arrests for drink driving and 488 for drug driving;
- 3,129 FCNs for driving while holding a mobile phone;
- 700 FCNs for non-wearing of a seatbelt.
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