Eight killed in road accidents at weekend

Seven people were killed in road accidents in the Republic at the weekend and an eighth in the North in one of the worst ever bank holiday weekends for road fatalities.

The deaths bring to 249 the number of fatalities in the State this year, an increase of 12 on the same period in 1999.

Gardai have again issued warnings to drivers to reduce speeds and drive with particular care for the remainder of the bank holiday weekend. The death toll for the three-day period is already up on last year, when seven people were killed.

Among those killed were a husband and wife from Enfield, Co Meath, who died in a three-car collision in Co Sligo on Saturday. The couple were named as Mr Edward (69) and Ms Vira (59) McManus, from Rathmoylan, Enfield.

Seven other people were injured in the crash and taken to Sligo General Hospital for treatment for fractures, cuts and bruises. All were said to be stable last night.

The incident occurred at about 4 p.m. at Moneygold near Grange on the Sligo-Bundoran road. Gardai investigating the accident have yet to discover the cause, but it is believed that one of the three cars may have veered on to the wrong side of the road.

Also in Connacht, a motorcyclist was killed early yesterday when his bike left the road on a bend at Stripe, near Corafin, Co Galway, and struck a tree. He was named as Mr James Moggan (31), from Cloherboy, Tuam, Co Galway.

In Co Cork, a pedestrian was killed near his home just after midnight on Saturday. A single man, Mr Don Hurley (45), from Coppeen West, Eniskeen, was struck by a car while walking home from a local pub at Coppeen.

A young man was killed and a second was seriously injured in a single-car crash at Coolcorcoran on the Tralee-Killarney road at 2.30 a.m. on Saturday. The dead man, a passenger, was named as Johnathan Cahill (18), from Parkmore Estate, Currow, Co Kerry.

The 18-year-old driver was taken to Tralee General Hospital and later transferred to Cork University Hospital for treatment for a fractured skull. He was said last night to be in a stable condition.

Also in Munster, two young men were killed at Creggane in Co Limerick when their car left the road, struck a tree and overturned on the road to Charleville, Co Cork, at 10.20 p.m. on Friday. Mr Barry John O'Keeffe (19), from Cooleens, Charleville, who was a passenger in the car, died at the scene. The driver, Mr Evan Dick (18), from The Turretts, Charleville, was taken to Limerick Regional Hospital, where he died at about 7 a.m. on Saturday.

In Co Down, a cyclist was killed when he was struck by a car at Movilla Road in Newtownards at 9.15 a.m. on Saturday. He was named after a post-mortem yesterday as Mr Raymond Harrisson (55), from Drumlin Rise, Newtownards.

Meanwhile, the girl killed in a farming accident in Co Tipperary last Friday was named as Jane Butler (5), from Clonedarby, Clonaulty, Dundrum. She died after falling from a tractor cab and under a wheel of the tractor after the cab door opened.