Bridget and Thomas O’Reilly and their three-year-old grandson Tom who tragically died in single vehicle crash
They have been named as 46-year-old Bridget O’Reilly, 45-year-old Thomas O’Reilly and their grandson three-year-old Tom O’Reilly.
They lived at Waller’s Lot in Cashel.
The three were rear seat passengers in a car which hit a wall in the Windmill Knockbulloge area at around 9pm last night.
The bodies of the two grandparents were removed to University Hospital Waterford, where post-mortem examinations will be carried out.
The boy’s body was removed to Tipperary University Hospital in Clonmel.
The 22-year-old man driving the car, and 22-year-old woman sitting in the front seat, have also been taken to Tipperary University Hospital where they continue to be treated for serious injuries.
All five occupants of the car came from the same family.
Gardaí have said a family liaison officer have been appointed to provide support, and the family will be kept updated as to the course of the investigation.
The road is closed for a technical examination and is expected to remain closed for some time.
Speaking this afternoon, Superintendent Kieran Ruane said the local community is “shocked and deeply saddened”.
“I have spoken with the family of the deceased this morning, a family that is devastated by this terrible incident. I assured the family and I want to assure the community that local Gardaí here in South Tipperary are here to support them and the community, as we all come to terms with this tragedy over the coming days, weeks and months,” he said.
He said the scene last night was traumatic and very difficult for everyone in attendance, and commended the professionalism and compassion shown by emergency services.
An incident room has been established at Cahir Garda Station and gardaí are appealing for any witnesses to contact them.
Road users who may have camera footage and were travelling in the Windmill Knockbulloge area near Cashel between 8.30pm and 9.15pm are asked to share this footage with gardaí.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Cahir Garda Station on 052 617 7640, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any garda station.
The Co-ordinator of Tipperary Rural Travellers’ Project said the Traveller community all over Ireland are shocked, devastated and numbed by the deaths.
Speaking on RTÉ’s News at One, Mags Casey said she had worked with the family involved for 23 years and there is a numbness and disbelief within the community at the tragedy.
Ms Casey said those affected are receiving support, but she appealed to the public to be kind to those affected by the tragedy.
“The Traveller community are very close knit anyway and the NGO and the other sectors have been very good to in order to come behind us and support us. And I suppose we’d ask people just to be kind and just be kind at this particular point of time,” she said.
Speaking on the same programme, parish priest Fr Enda Brady said the community was numbed by the crash which occurred just days after the death of four young people in the county:
“It’s coming so soon after the accident in Clonmel and involving a young child. People are absolutely devastated by what’s happened. There’s a numbness over the town this morning.
“Some of the families in Clonmel have connections here in town, so you can imagine then this coming so soon has just caused absolute utter devastation,” he said.
On Friday, 24-year-old Luke McSweeney, his 18-year-old sister Grace McSweeney and Zoey Coffey and Nicole Murphy, both also 18, were killed on Friday evening, hours after the teenagers received their Leaving Certificate exam results.
They were on their way to celebrate when the car they were travelling in overturned and hit a stone wall.
Their funerals will be held later this week, after thousands attended a vigil in Clonmel on Sunday to mourn the loss.
Tags: