Canadian tourist killed in Clare collision among four women who died on the roads over the weekend
The woman, who was in her 70s, had been cycling with a group when she was in a collision with a tractor at Toonagh, Tulla, on Saturday afternoon.
She has not yet been named but is understood to have travelled to Ireland as part of a cycling group touring Clare.
Cllr Mary Howard, a Fine Gael councillor with Clare County Council, said her death was the first road fatality in Clare this year.
'We send our condolences to her family in Canada and to her colleagues who were with her on their vacation," she said.
"It is a horrendous way for a holiday to turn out.'
Gardaí and emergency services attended the scene following report of the collision, involving a tractor and a bicycle, which occurred on the L3180 at about 12.45pm on Saturday.
The woman was pronounced dead at the scene and her body was removed for an autopsy at University Hospital Limerick.
Investigations are also continuing into the death of a woman in her 20s in Enniscorthy, Co Wexford.
The woman, who has also not yet been named, died after she was also hit by a car, on the R702 in Curraghgraigue, Enniscorthy, at about 3pm on Saturday.
She was removed to Wexford General Hospital, where she later died.
The driver of the car, a man in his 20s, received a medical assessment at the scene.
Meanwhile, the woman who died after being hit by a car on Saturday evening in Ashbourne, Co Meath, has been named locally. She was Theresa Morgan. Funeral arrangements have not yet been made.
In Donegal, the community of Lifford is in mourning for 82-year-old Bernie Cranley.
Ms Cranley was the driver of a silver Toyota Vitz that was involved in a collision with a blue Suzuki Vitara over the weekend.
The incident took place on the Mellon Road between Omagh and Newtownstewart near the Ulster American Folk Park at about 12.30pm on Saturday.
The other driver, a woman in her 70s, was taken to hospital by ambulance for treatment for serious injuries.
PSNI inspector Cherith Adair, from the collision investigation unit, said: 'Our inquiries are ongoing into the circumstances of the collision, and we would like to hear from witnesses or anyone who may have captured dash-cam footage which could assist us.'
There have been 65 fatalities in 62 collisions on Irish roads so far this year. The number has fallen from 63 fatalities in 68 collisions in the same period last year.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Extra.ie
17 minutes ago
- Extra.ie
Jules Thomas speaks out amid DNA breakthrough in Sophie case
Jules Thomas – former partner of the late Ian Bailey – said yesterday she is praying cold-case investigators collecting DNA in a bid to solve the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier make a breakthrough so 'the truth will come out' and clear her ex's name. A review into the brutal killing of the 39-year-old French filmmaker could now be completed within weeks due to enhanced forensic DNA collection techniques. Ms Thomas firmly believes her former lover 'did not commit this appalling murder but he was not believed'. She said: 'That wrecked his life and hastened his death.' Selling art from her stall at the weekly Sunday market in Schull, West Cork, Ms Thomas said she is 'praying for closure. Jules Thomas and Ian Bailey. Pic: Collins Courts 'People still give me lingering looks of suspicion, even some of those I've known for decades locally and visitors who recognise me looking in a ghastly, lingering way sometimes. 'This shadow of suspicion has never really lifted. Some around here remain convinced Ian murdered Sophie, and I was also involved, covering up for him. Now the truth will come out hopefully, and there can be closure at last.' Ms Thomas, who split from Mr Bailey after three decades, added: 'Good luck to those solving the case with that new DNA analysis. It would still be wonderful to have his name cleared posthumously. It would also bring some peace to Sophie's poor family, who were duped and strung along for years in the belief that Ian Bailey was the murderer.' Cork solicitor Frank Buttimer, who represented Mr Bailey for more than 20 years, including during two court cases taken against the State and various newspapers, said his client had voluntarily given his DNA to gardaí. Ian Bailey had voluntarily given his DNA to gardaí. Pic: Collins 'Mr Bailey is deceased and is not around to clear his name,' he said on RTÉ Radio. Asked whether it should be made public if Mr Bailey's DNA is found on items, Mr Buttimer added: 'I am sure in certain quarters there would be a rush to provide such information; there is an ongoing belief in a certain section of the police of a connection between Mr Bailey and the crime which he has denied throughout his life. 'There has always been a rush to put Mr Bailey's name out there in certain quarters as being the one connected with the offence. In Irish law, there's the presumption of innocence; he was presumed innocent by the State of Ireland, he was never prosecuted here, but a completely spurious case was taken against him in France, where he was found guilty, but that was a predictable event.' He said he hoped that if his late client was proven innocent, the French authorities would reflect on the fact he had been 'hounded and pursued for this dreadful crime until the time of his death'. Sophie Toscan du Plantier. Pic: REX/Shutterstock He said this had 'destroyed his life', adding: 'Every avenue should be pursued to get to the truth of this appalling crime. It's a stain on us and a stain on our police and on our system, and if anything can be done even at this late stage I would welcome it.' Former UK forensics detective Bridget Chappuis, who spent decades investigating murders, has had ongoing contact with the family of Ms du Plantier, and also with Ms Thomas and Mr Buttimer. She spoke with Mr Bailey regularly in the last months of his life, and he gave her boxes of documents. The highly respected expert has always believed Mr Bailey was innocent, having looked into all aspects of the case. 'Who's to say there was no cross-contamination of the exhibits, how they were stored and having surety there was no interference with it over the years,' she told 'The Guards can say, 'OK, we have his DNA on the stone, that's it, case closed', but that's worrying, the right of reply to challenge evidence is gone because Ian Bailey is dead.' Their comments come as US forensic experts continue the M-Vac method of recovering DNA material by carrying out tests on the concrete block used to bludgeon the victim to death, which had blood on it. A rock found at the murder scene is being tested, together with the victim's dressing gown, vest, leggings and boots, recovered from the spot where one of Ireland's most notorious murders took place. Ms Toscan du Plantier was found bludgeoned to death in the lane of her isolated West Cork home on the morning of December 23, 1996. Although ten suspects were initially looked at, English journalist Mr Bailey became the prime suspect. However, he was never charged, and, after suffering several heart attacks, died in January last year, protesting his innocence. The M-Vac method of DNA testing has helped solve decades-old murders in the US, leading to the prosecution of perpetrators.
The Irish Sun
an hour ago
- The Irish Sun
Gardai nab gang run by plumber that smuggled guns in from US after thug supplied AR-15 rifle that killed lad in Dublin
, have fallen into the hands of some reckless groups here, who often did not know how to use them The semi-automatic assault rifles, used in mass shootings in the The semi-automatic assault rifles, used in mass shootings in the US , have fallen into the hands of some reckless groups here, who often did not know how to use them PLUMB OUT OF LUCK Gardai nab gang run by plumber that smuggled guns in from US after thug supplied AR-15 rifle that killed lad in Dublin THE gang run by a plumber that smuggled guns in from the US is also believed to have sold the military-grade AR-15 rifle used in the Republic's last gun killing. The Irish Sun can reveal cops suspect Mark McCourt's mob — whose arms depot was in Ardee, Co Louth — supplied the firearm which saw Josh Itseli, 20, shot dead in May 2024. 7 Plumber Mark McCourt ran a gang that smuggled guns into Ireland from the US Credit: Social Media Collect 7 Investigations identified Newry man McCourt, who led an organised crime group Credit: Garda Press Office 7 Josh Itseli, 20, was shot dead in May 2024 Credit: Journalist Collect Detectives probing Itseli's death believe he was accidentally shot by his pal while in a car on their way to target rivals in Drimnagh, in Dublin's south inner city. The chief suspect in the case, who threw the gun into a hedge near the scene, remains under investigation. In a period of mayhem in the Irish gangland scene, it saw younger, local organised crime gangs — who were a number of layers beneath Ireland's most senior mobs — accessing lethal AR-15 firearms. The semi-automatic assault rifles, used in mass shootings in the US, have fallen into the hands of some reckless groups here, who often did not know how to use them. On the night before Itseli's killing, a post by his associate on social media asked if anyone knew how to use 'this thing'. In an exclusive interview with The Irish Sun, Det Chief Supt Seamus Boland of the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau told how it became a national priority to find who was supplying the guns after the concerning trend emerged. He explained: 'We became extremely concerned when we saw weapons of the calibre of these AR-15s appearing in the possession of gangland figures here in Ireland. That was hugely concerning.' The senior cop added: 'The AR-15s are synonymous with so many school shootings in the United States. And these are weapons that we hadn't come across before.' Investigations quickly identified Newry man McCourt, who led an organised crime group smuggling guns from the US to Ireland. Gardai release video footage of guns used by Gucci Gang as leader Glen 'Mr Flashy' Ward jailed The operation saw his associate — who had US citizenship — legally buying firearms and strip them back into components before bringing them to Ireland. McCourt then assembled and sold them onward to gangs in Dublin, Derry and Limerick. But the thug's illicit scheme was smashed when armed gardai swooped on a warehouse in Ardee in July 2024. Investigators seized 82 firearm components — which could be assembled into six AR-15 assault rifles — and 12 semi-automatic Glock pistols, along with hundreds of rounds of ammunition. Once we identified a group as one of the highest risk criminal organisations in the country, particularly one that's going to be using violence and death, they had to become our main focus of our investigations." Det Chief Supt Bolan Det Chief Supt Boland added: 'Clearly to us there was a firearms trafficking route into Ireland that was obviously supplying these types of weapons. "So that became a priority focus for us, the Drug Organised Crime Bureau. 'And the net result of our investigations is that we absolutely dismantled the trafficking route for AR-15s into this jurisdiction that was in place at the time.' CASHING IN McCourt pleaded guilty to six counts over facilitating a criminal organisation to import explosives, firearms and ammunition into the State. He is due to be sentenced at the Special Criminal Court later this year. His sentencing hearing last month offered an insight into the money McCourt was making. The court also heard how McCourt sent a list of weaponry — including four AR-15 military grade assault rifles, five Glocks, ammunition and magazines — in messages to a buyer, saying that €75,000 in cash is the 'best price' he could do. The major investigation is ongoing, with McCourt's close associate held and quizzed over the unlawful possession of ammunition last Monday. Other criminals who accessed AR-15s in recent years included 'Mr Flashy' Glen Ward and his younger sibling Eric O'Driscoll. 7 Other criminals who accessed AR-15s in recent years included 'Mr Flashy' Glen Ward and his younger sibling Eric O'Driscoll Credit: 7 The scene on Knocknarea Rd in the Drimnagh area of south Dublin, where Itseli was killed Credit: RTE News The pair are now serving prison sentences of five-and-a-half years and five years respectively after being caught in video footage firing the gun in the air at a house party in Finglas, Dublin, on New Year's Eve in 2022. Itseli remains the last gun killing victim in the Republic, 15 months ago, as the major work done by the GNDOCB in foiling multiple attempts to kill has paid off. Many of those willing to pull a trigger are now serving lengthy sentences behind bars. Shootings erupted during the Kinahan cartel's onslaught on the rival Hutch gang in 2016. And the GNDOCB were deployed on 20 occasions in threat to life operations, 26 times in 2017 and then 13 in 2018. The following year saw 14 before it significantly dropped from 2020 onwards to just two, the same number again in 2021, three in 2022 and none in 2023. Last year, there were four threat to life ops, including foiling a hit planned by Ireland's top gang The Family as they attempted to target slain drug dealer Cormac Berkeley's close associate. 'HAD TO BE RESILIENT' Det Chief Supt Boland explained that the GNDOCB changed strategy in 2016 and became much more proactive in targeting the top level organised crime groups. He told us: 'Once we identified a group as one of the highest risk criminal organisations in the country, particularly one that's going to be using violence and death, they had to become our main focus of our investigations. 'We had to be resilient enough to keep investigating them and not just be proactively investigating crimes as they're being committed, but identify who are the leaders, who are the facilitators, who's enhancing the groups, who are the members of these groups.' The GNDOCB focused a lot of time and resources in doing covert operations, gathering evidence in the background against some of the most violent people who were working for these crime gangs. Boland added: 'A lot of our criminals who have been around for decades and are willing to pull the trigger on a gun and take somebody's life, a lot of them are actually locked up in prison serving serious sentences at the moment.' 7 Gardai searching for weapons in the undergrowth in the grounds of a day care centre on Curlew Road, Drimnagh Credit:
Irish Independent
2 hours ago
- Irish Independent
How ‘Irish orphan' Nicholas Rossi created lies of a childhood in Dublin and faked his own death, but is finally facing justice in the US
Man accused of fleeing the US to evade charges was found guilty of raping a former girlfriend in his first of two trials In 2022, Irish orphan Arthur Knight told a story of an early life lived in despair. He claimed he was born in Dublin, grew up in a care home and fled for a new life in London when he was in his teens.
