Ciaran Keating, an older brother of singer Ronan Keating, has been named locally as the victim of a fatal road crash on the N5 near Swinford, Co Mayo, on Saturday afternoon.
It is understood Mr Keating, who is in his 50s and lived in Westport, was travelling with his wife, Ann Marie, to watch their son, Ruairi, play for Cork City in a League of Ireland clash with Sligo Rovers.
Mr Keating suffered fatal injuries in the two-vehicle impact in the townland of Ballymiles, about half way between Swinford and Bohola.
His wife Ann Marie, a secondary school teacher, was taken to Mayo University Hospital for treatment for injuries which are understood not to be life threatening.
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The male driver of the second vehicle is receiving treatment in hospital for serious injuries.
Ciaran Keating’s death is being widely mourned in his adopted Westport and the wider community.
Christy Hyland, an Independent member of Mayo County Council, said: “Our sympathy goes out to all the Keating family. Ciaran’s death is truly shocking.”
For a time, Mr Keating was involved in the licensed pub trade in the village of Lecanvey, about four miles from Westport.
Apart from his own family and Ronan, he is survived by one sister, Linda, and two brothers, Gerard and Gary.
A technical examination of the crash scene and the vehicles involved has been conducted by Garda forensic collision investigators.
The coroner for Mayo has been notified and a postmortem is to take place later.
Gardaí are appealing to anyone who may have witnessed the collision to contact them.
His death was the first of two fatalities on the Irish roads on Saturday.
A 19 year old man was killed and four other people injured when two cars collided on the N24 in Ballykisteen, Co Tipperary shortly before 9pm.
The teenager was a passenger in one of the cars. His body was taken to the mortuary at University Hospital Waterford where a postmortem examination will take place.
The male driver and another male passenger in the same vehicle were taken to University Hospital Limerick, where the passenger remained in a serious condition on Sunday.
The two occupants of the second vehicle were also taken to hospital with serious but non-life threatening injuries.
The road remained closed on Sunday morning and gardaí have appealed for witnesses to contact them.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda station.