Victims of fatal Limerick crash named locally as two others in hospital

The driver and another passenger in the vehicle sustained non-life-threatening injuries in the incident

The Floral Tributes at the scene of a fatal road traffic collision on the N69 at Ballyengland outside Askeaton. Picture Brendan Gleeson

Tributes have been paid to two young men killed and two others injured in a horrific crash in County Limerick last night.

The four men, aged in their early 20s, had been traveling in a car that struck a wall on the N69 at Ballyengland, near Askeaton, at around 7.25pm on Tuesday night.

The victims have been named locally as Darragh Dullea from Clonakilty, Co Cork and Cillian Kirwan from Pilton, Co Kilkenny.

Both were second year students at the Salesian Agricultural College in Pallaskenry, Co Limerick.

The driver and a third passenger, who are from Charleville in Cork and Birr in Offaly, were taken by ambulance to University Hospital Limerick, where they were being treated for non-life threatening injuries.

The deaths bring the total killed on the roads so far this year to 32, two more than over the same period last year.

The four were in their final year of a two-year agricultural course run jointly by Technical University of the Shannon (TUS) and Salesian Agricultural College, Pallaskenry and were staying at the Salesian College.

Salesian’s College Principal, Derek O’Donoghue, said: “I would like to send my condolences to the families of the two students that have tragically lost their lives, and our thoughts and prayers are with their families and their friends and classmates, and I also wish the two students who are in hospital a speedy recovery.” 

Mr O’Donoghue said the four men returned to reside at the Pallaskenry college in January “after eight months placement, so they are really just five weeks back here in college and are in the final year of their programme - and all four are from rural Ireland”.

Gardaí are appealing to anyone who may have witnessed this collision to contact them. Picture: Brendan Gleeson

“It’s very unfortunate, they are all in their 20s and all second year students, they were studying the higher cert in agricultural mechinisation which involves studies around the mechanics, operation and maintenance of farm machinery, such as tractors.”

He described the four men as “exemplary students, hard working, diligent, and all had really good careers ahead of them, two still have obviously, but unfortunately two lives have been cut very very short”.

Mr O’Donoghue said staff from TUS are providing counseling and other psychological supports to the men’s fellow students.

Adam Teskey a local Fine Gael councillor, offered his sympathies to the four men’s families and said the local community was left “absolutely stunned” and “in a total state of shock after this immense tragedy”.

Gardai said the bodies of the deceased were removed from the scene to the mortuary at University Hospital Limerick, for post-mortem examinations.

The road was closed throughout Tuesday night and into Wednesday allowing Gardai attached to the forensic collision investigation unit conduct technical examinations at the scene.

Gardaí appealed for witnesses and any road users with “camera footage (including dash-cam) and who were travelling in the area at the time, to make this footage available to Gardaí”.

“Anyone with any information is asked to contact Askeaton Garda Station 061 601630 or any Garda station.”