Ten days into new year, eight already dead on our roads
Mother-of-three is latest victim of carnage
A MOTHER-of-three who died in a crash in Co. Sligo this week has been described as someone who ‘lived for her family’.
Muriel Conboy, 57, was killed in a two-car collision on the R290 between Kilross National School and Ballygawley at about 7.30pm on Monday.
The Ballygawley local was pronounced dead at the scene while the driver of the second car was rushed to Sligo University Hospital. Gardaí said the motorist’s injuries are not lifethreatening. The latest fatality brings the number of road deaths in 2024 to eight, an increase of three compared to this time last year.
Ms Conboy, who worked at a nursing home in Co. Leitrim, is said to have been very well-known in her community. Previously, she was employed as a production operator at Ophardt Hygiene in Sligo.
Local councillor Thomas Walsh said: ‘I have known the woman for many years, and she was a pleasant, soft-spoken, hard-working mother who lived for her family, and she and her family are highly regarded in the area.’ Gardaí are appealing for witnesses. Last Friday, three people were killed in separate road accidents. A female pedestrian in her 20s died after being hit by a car on the N56 road at Illistrin, Co. Donegal, on that evening.
Earlier, a woman in her 80s died on the R156 at Scarriff Bridge at around 12pm following a collision between her car and a mini-bus.
The elderly woman, who was the driver of the car, was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the minibus, a man in his 50s, and a juvenile passenger have received treatment for non-life-threatening injuries.
Earlier on Friday, a man in his 30s, named locally as Terence Killeen, died in a two-car collision in Co. Mayo. The crash occurred at 7.50am at Belladaff, Tagheen, near Claremorris.
Mr Killeen, who was from the area, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Prior to this, a woman was killed in a crash in Co. Kerry on Thursday afternoon. Mother-of-one Mary Walsh, 52, was travelling on the N22 in Glenflesk when her car collided with a truck. Wednesday was the only day last week that didn’t see any fatal collisions.
On Tuesday last week, a woman was killed and two children seriously injured in a crash in Co. Kildare. The woman, in her 40s was driving on the R148 in Cloncurry, Enfield, at 6.15pm when her car collided with a van.
She was pronounced dead at the scene while the children were rushed
Pronounced dead at the scene
to Children’s Health Ireland at Crumlin where their conditions have been described as serious but stable.
Earlier on the same day, motorcyclist Gary Murphy, 48, died after he was involved in a crash on the main Cavan to Ballinagh road at Corlurgan at approximately 3.10pm. Father-of-two Keith Higginbotham, 27, was the first person to die on Irish roads in 2024. From Nurney, Co. Kildare, he was a passenger in a car involved in a singlevehicle crash at Curraghfarm, between Kildare town and Newbridge, at about 8.45pm on New Year’s Day.