A mother of three was knocked down and killed while enjoying her morning walk with her husband in Co Offaly yesterday.
Jenny Melia, who was in her early 40s, died when she was struck by a car near her home at Kilcormac, and her husband Liam was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The incident happened inside the 50km/h zone of the town.
Ms Melia was a well-known member of the local community and was a champion dancer with the Kilcormac-Killoughey GAA Club team in local Scór competitions.
The driver of the car, who is not believed to be from the immediate locality, was uninjured in the collision and was interviewed by gardaí after the crash which happened at about 9.15am yesterday.
The scene was preserved for forensic examination and the car was also examined.
"Everyone is in shock. Jenny and Liam walked regularly together, particularly in the mornings after their children had gone to school," said a local woman.
"They were a lovely couple who lived together in a house they bought on the Kinnity Road. Liam is originally from the parish of Cloghan, about six miles away," she added.
"Jenny's parents Martin and Agnes Delaney are alive and well in St Cormac's Park, where Jenny grew up as one of a large family. Jenny has brothers and sisters living locally and other members of her family live in America and England.
"It's very sad," the woman continued. "It has cast a terrible gloom over the town. This tragedy touches a lot of people. It's a small town and everyone knows everyone else."
Neighbour and friend Mick Spain said: "Liam played football and hurling with Kilcormac-Killoughey and he was also involved with local soccer club Frankford United. I often met Jenny and Liam going for their morning walk.
"Liam is a shiftman at Shannonbridge power station. He is a very capable fellow and has fixed many televisions and aerials for people in this area.
"They were a very jolly couple and it's terrible what has happened."
Mr Melia was removed to the Midlands Regional Hospital in Tullamore.
He is believed to have suffered broken bones and bad bruising in the accident, which happened close to Doolan's supermarket on the N52, the main Birr-Tullamore road.
The stretch of roadway is reasonably straight.
A postmortem examination was due to be carried out in the Midlands Regional Hospital last night.
As a mark of respect, a meeting of Kilcormac-Killoughey GAA club, scheduled for tonight, has been cancelled.