RSA 'very concerned' as six die on Irish roads over weekend

Ronan Dwyer.

The Road Safety Authority (RSA) have said they are "very concerned" at the rise in the number of people being killed on Irish roads after six further deaths over the weekend.

A pedestrian who was killed following a collision in Tipperary on Sunday evening was the sixth person to die in the previous three days.

RSA chairperson Liz O'Donnell said that the statistics were "going in the wrong direction" - with 98 deaths so far this year on Irish roads, a rise of 17 on this time last year.

Speaking to News at One, Ms O'Donnell said: "We’re very concerned that we’re going in the wrong direction in terms of fatal crashes. 

"It was the same last year (2022) when we were up on the previous year. What we’re appealing about (most) is speed. 

We are really concerned that people are speeding in a routine way now. 

"The gardaí and the department of transport and the RSA are appealing to people to slow down and drive at the appropriate speed. Drive within the speed limits – they are limits, not targets."

Ms O'Donnell said that a number of factors were behind the rise in road deaths, including people driving on unfamiliar roads and inclement weather making road conditions more dangerous.

She confirmed that she would be meeting with the garda commissioner Drew Harris in the near future to discuss enforcement.

She said: "We’re particularly concerned about pedestrian deaths. Drivers have a duty of care to themselves, their passengers and to other road users. You have a duty of care to not use your mobile phone, to drive at an appropriate speed, to make sure your passengers have their seatbelts on.

22 pedestrians have died on the roads this year – that is dreadful. 129 people have been seriously injured as pedestrians this year.

"The (transport) minister moved last year by increasing the fines last year, they may now have to look at penalty points. 

"One fatal crash is a disaster for a family and a community. So many people are being impacted by the six deaths this weekend – hundreds."

Ms O'Donnell added that RSA statistics show that some counties are having more crashes than others - with Cork featuring fatal crashes in "towns which are congested and where fatal crashes happened with pedestrians crossing the road."

Mayo and Galway were also singled out by Ms O'Donnell as areas where fatalities have increased.

The Tipperary incident, involving a car and a pedestrian, happened at around 11.25pm, at Burgess West, Ballylooby.

The man, aged 41, was fatally injured in the crash. 

He has been named locally as Ronan Dwyer who was native of Croughatour, Ballylooby. 

Mr Dwyer had earlier attended the Ballylooby festival which took place in the small rural Tipperary village and is believed to have been going home when the tragic incident occurred.

In a post, Ballylooby Community Council said: "All members of the Community Council would like to extend our deepest condolences to the Dwyer family on their loss. Ronan was a dear friend to many and helped out within the community whenever it was needed. He will be forever missed. Our thoughts are with his parents, brothers, sister-in-law, nieces, extended family and circle of friends at this time." 

One local said that Ronan "was a pure gentleman" who played GAA with the local Ballylooby Castlegrace club and soccer for Vee Rovers.

Gardaí in Cahir are appealing to anyone who may have witnessed this collision to contact them.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Cahir Garda Station on 052 744 5630, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any garda station.

The incident marks the second road death in Co Tipperary at the weekend.

A 19-year-old man was killed and four others were left injured in a crash on the N24 in Ballykisteen on Saturday night.

The teenager, named locally as Ignacy 'Iggy' Sokuluk, was a native of Warsaw in Poland but had lived in Dundrum for a number of years. Friends said Ignacy "was a lovely lad who was gone way too soon".

There have been a number of fatalities on that particular stretch of the N24 over the years. A mother of two lost her life there in 2014 while in 2016 a Romanian pedestrian died on the road after being struck by a car.

Gardaí say the driver and passenger of the same vehicle were taken to University Hospital Limerick (UHL) where the passenger remains in a serious condition. The two occupants of the second vehicle were also taken to UHL with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

Further road deaths 

Tragedies were also recorded on roads in Sligo, Mayo and Donegal this weekend.

Two competitors of the Sligo Rally were killed during the event, with Motorsport Ireland saying a full investigation would be carried out into the double tragedy, which occurred on Sunday.

The fatal accident occurred on a stage named Carrickbanagher, a location between Ballymote and Collooney at approximately 3pm.

They have been named locally as driver Gene McDonald of Cootehill, Co Cavan, who was in his 30s, and co-driver Daire Maguire of Lisnaskea, Co Fermanagh, who was in his 40s.

In Mayo, Ciaran Keating, the brother of former Boyzone singer Ronan Keating and father of Cork City FC footballer Ruairi Keating, died in a two-vehicle crash near on the N5 near Ballymiles on Saturday.

Mr Keating and his wife Anne Marie, who suffered non-life-threatening injuries, had been travelling to Sligo to watch their son play against Sligo Rovers.

In Donegal, a man in his 60s died in a single-vehicle collision on Friday.