Woman returning from All-Ireland final among six killed on roads

A woman who was travelling home from the All-Ireland football final was among five people who died in road traffic incidents at the weekend.

Joanne Tracey, a mother-of-three from Omagh in Co Tyrone, died after her car collided with another vehicle at about 1.20am on Monday on the M1 northbound between Junction 10 and 11.

Ms Tracey was taken to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda and pronounced dead a short time later. It is understood Ms Tracey had been travelling home from the All-Ireland senior football final in Dublin.

The driver of the second vehicle was uninjured but brought to hospital as a precaution.

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Some of the other victims of the deadliest weekend on Irish roads so far this year have also been named, while a sixth person died on Monday afternoon after a collision in Co Offaly.

Gerard Betson, a carpenter in his late 50s from Ballycommon, was pronounced dead shortly after his van collided with a wall at Tubberlaheen, Ballinagar, a short distance from Tullamore, at around 3pm on Monday.

In Limerick, a 76-year-old man died on Sunday night following a hit-and-run at Ballingary.

Danny Brosnan, a father of five children who was described locally as "a beautiful man", was found dead about 100m from his home on Sunday. It is understood that Mr Brosnan was out walking when he was hit by a passing vehicle shortly before 11pm at Rylands on the Ballingarry to Rathkeale Road R518.

Mr Brosnan was pronounced dead at the scene and his body was removed to the mortuary at University Hospital Limerick.

“He regularly walked, and he had a lovely dog who he nearly always took with him on his walks,” said Ballingary parish priest Fr Dan Lane. “He walked the dog a couple of times a day. He’s very well known. It’s very tragic.”

Earlier that day, a 38-year-old pedestrian was fatally injured in a collision with a car on the R420 at Muinagh, just outside Tullamore.

The incident occurred at about 12.10am on Sunday morning and the woman was taken to Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore where she was later pronounced dead. The male driver (36) of the car was also taken to the hospital for treatment.

Motorbike

On Saturday, 48-year-old Mike Sweeney died following a collision between his motorbike and a car in Co Tipperary.

Gardaí said the incident took place on the N24 between Clonmel and Carrick-on-Suir about 6.15pm. Mr Sweeney was a volunteer driver with the Blood Bikes service which provides free emergency medical transport of blood services between hospitals.

Mr Sweeney was pronounced dead at the scene and his body was removed to South Tipperary General Hospital in Clonmel. The female driver of the car was uninjured.

The Road Safety Authority posted a reminder to all drivers on Monday to "slow down, wear your sear belt, never use your mobile phone while driving, never drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs and pedestrians and cyclists be safe be seen".

A total of 105 people have died on Irish roads so far this year.