Hundreds turn out for vigils to remember victims of ‘devastating’ road crash

Hundreds of people have taken part in vigils to remember five young adults who died in a Co Louth crash.

Three separate vigils were arranged in Ardee, Co Louth; Drumconrath, Co Meath; and Aughnamullen, Co Monaghan; to pay tribute to the deceased on Tuesday night.

The victims in the crash were: Chloe McGee, 23, and Shay Duffy, 21, both from Carrickmacross in Co Monaghan; Alan McCluskey, 23, from Drumconrath in Co Meath; Dylan Commins, 23, from Ardee in Co Louth; and Chloe Hipson, 21, from Bellshill, Lanarkshire, Scotland.

They were travelling together in a Volkswagen Golf while on their way to Dundalk for a night out when they died in the crash on Saturday.

A sixth person who was in the car, also aged in his 20s, was taken to hospital for non-life threatening injuries.

Two other people were also injured in what Irish police described as a “shocking and devastating” crash.

The incident, which involved the Golf and a Toyota Land Cruiser, happened on a road near Dundalk just after 9pm.

Post-mortem examinations of the deceased have now been completed and their remains have been released to their families.

The sixth occupant of the Volkswagen Golf, a man in his 20s, has been discharged from hospital.

The two occupants of the Toyota Landcruiser, a man and a woman in their 20s, remain in hospital where they continue to receive medical treatment for non-life threatening injuries.

At Drumconrath Gaelic Football Club, hundreds gathered with candles and mobile flashlights for a vigil on a cold, dark, and windy night.

The club’s flag was flown at half mast as prayers were offered to the McCluskey family, the others injured and killed in the crash as well as the emergency services who responded to the scene.

Some of those gathered wiped away tears as songs were played in tribute to those affected while the congregation also said a decade of the rosary.

Fr Finian Connaughton told the Drumconrath grouping that they were just “one community of five communities in a state of shock”.

He said while people may feel that there is nothing that can be done, this is not true as the community coming together was an expression of support to those affected.

He said he was confident that the McCluskeys and other affected families are “very well aware” that people are gathering and praying for them.

A table carrying photographs of Alan McCluskey was also on display.

Hundreds more gathered at the back of Sean McDermott’s GFC in Ardee where Rev Dermot Clarke, Deacon Parish of Haggardstown and Blackrock, was in attendance and led the candlelight service.

Meanwhile, gardai continue to investigate all the circumstances behind the crash and issued a renewed witness appeal.