Three men killed on the roads over weekend

There were three fatalities on the Republic's roads over the weekend, all of them men. It brings to 271 the number of people killed on roads in the State so far this year.

In the North, meanwhile, two people were killed on the roads yesterday. One person died and two were seriously injured at the Glenshane Pass on the Derry-Belfast road yesterday afternoon and a woman pedestrian was killed when she was hit by a motorcycle near Newcastle, Co Down.

In Co Clare, a man died in the early hours of yesterday morning after his car struck a ditch and overturned.

Patrick Murphy (29) from the Maghera-Clooney area of the county, died following the single-vehicle collision at about 3am at Cragg, 2km (1.24 miles) from the village of Tulla on the main Gort road.

Mr Murphy's body was removed to the Mid Western Regional Hospital in Limerick where a postmortem examination is expected to take place today.

The main Tulla-Gort road was closed for several hours yesterday to allow Garda fatal crash investigators to examine the scene.

Gardaí at Killaloe have appealed for any witnesses to contact them at 061-376242.

Gardaí have named the elderly man killed in Friday's crash in Co Tipperary as Fr Roger Kinane (83), Toureen, Rossmore, Co Tipperary.

The collision, at 6.45pm on Friday, took place at Parkstown, Horse and Jockey, near Thurles.

The priest died when the car he was driving collided with a truck.

In Gorey, Co Wexford, gardaí are investigating a single-vehicle fatality that took place at 8.30pm on Saturday at Annaghmore, Hollyfort, near Gorey, in which a 17-year-old youth died when the car he was driving left the road.

He was on his own at the time and no other vehicle was involved. Anyone who may have witnessed the incident is asked to contact gardaí at Gorey on 053-9430690.

The victim's name was not being released last night until all relatives had been informed.

Seven people, believed to be members of one family, were taken to hospital yesterday afternoon following a collision in Co Louth, just north of the Boyne bridge on the M1 Dublin to Belfast road.

Their vehicle hit a barrier but it is understood that the injuries of those involved were not grave. The road was closed for a brief period after the incident.