The five teenagers who died in a crash on the M9 motorway have been named by family and friends in social media posts.
The five were killed in the crash at about 3am on Sunday in Co Kildare. Three women and a boy (7), who were travelling in another vehicle, were seriously injured in the incident.
The black BMW driven by the teens had been reported stolen that day and was being driven in the wrong direction down the M9 when it collided with the other car.
Family and friends have posted messages marking the passing of the five teens, naming them as: Kamil Pustkowski (17) from Limerick; Jack Kennedy, also 17, from Athy, Co Kildare; Jeremy O’Brien (18) from Carlow; Joe “Joey” Carthy (15) from Athy, and Alex McCarthy (17) from Carlow.
READ MORE
The teens, some of whom were related, have not been officially identified by the Garda.
In the second car, sisters Alma and Niamh Kinsella, aged in their 30s, were in the front seats and their younger sister Ella Hendricken, in her 20s, was a rear-seat passenger alongside her nephew. The boy was also seriously injured in the incident.
It is understood that Alma and Niamh Kinsella remain in a serious condition in Tallaght University Hospital. Their younger sister is being treated for serious injuries in St Vincent’s University Hospital after being transferred there from St Luke’s Hospital, Kilkenny.
The car they were travelling in, a Hyundai, was driving in the correct direction on the motorway. They were making their way to Dublin Airport to fly to Britain for a family wedding.
The boy is being treated for serious injuries at the children’s hospital in Crumlin. All four are from the Carlow area.
The teenagers in the BMW were wearing balaclavas, or were otherwise masked, when they died on the M9.
The deceased were aligned to a large group known to gardaí around the Carlow-Kildare region.
St Michael’s Boxing Club in Athy posted a message on social media offering their condolences to the family of Joe Carthy, who was a member of the club.
“Our thoughts are also with those who were seriously injured in the collision, and with their families at this very difficult time,” the club said.
Carthy is survived by his parents William and Gemma, three brothers and two sisters.
