Two people are dead and a third person is in a critical condition in hospital following a road traffic collision in Co Monaghan.
The collision, which occurred at about 6.15pm on Thursday on the N2 at Mullaghanee, Castleblayney, involved two cars and a lorry.
The occupants of one of the cars, a man and woman in their 60s, were pronounced dead at the scene.
A female passenger of the second car, a woman in her 60s, was taken to Our Lady of Lourdes Drogheda to be treated for her injuries, which are understood to be critical.
The road was on Thursday evening closed to allow for a technical examination to be conducted by forensic collision investigators. Local diversions are in place.
Gardaí are appealing for any witnesses to this collision to come forward.
Any road users who may have camera footage, including dash-cam, and were travelling on the N2 at Castleblayney between 6.05pm and 6.30pm, are asked to make this footage available to gardaí.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact Castleblayney Garda Station on 042 974 7900, the Garda confidential line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station.
The deaths bring to 124 the number of people killed on the road this year, which is up 13 on the same time last year.
A woman in her 40s died in a road traffic collision between a car and a van in Co Kilkenny on Sunday morning. The incident occurred at approximately 7.30am on the N10 at Templemartin between the Hebron Road Roundabout and the M9 motorway.
