A Co Mayo community has been left “heartbroken beyond words” after a mother and daughter were killed in a road traffic collision.
They are among four people killed in separate road traffic collisions in the the Republic in a period of 24-hours.
Aisling Moore (46) and her daughter Abbigael Moore-Tournié (8) were fatally injured after their car collided with a lorry in Co Mayo in Lismoran, Foxford on Tuesday evening.
The lorry driver was taken to hospital with injuries that are understood to be non-life-threatening.
Swinford Athletic Club, where Abbigael was a member, said the Swinford athletic community is “heartbroken beyond words”.
In a post on Facebook, the club said Abbigael joined when she was five-years-old and “was the first child waiting for the gate to open every Tuesday evening rain, hail or shine and never missed a session, such was her love and enthusiasm for running, cartwheels and having fun”.
Abbigael was also member of the U10 Kiltimagh GAA team and was described as a “kind, bubbly and fun loving girl”. The club paid tribute to Abbigael saying she “will be missed dearly by us all, not least her family and her dear friends”.
Clann Machua Drama group described Ms Moore as “ever positive and ever warm”, saying she joined the group in recent years and “always had a supportive message for any of the group taking part in shows”.
Two men were also killed in separate collisions.
In the latest incident, a man in his eighties died following a two car collision in Co Westmeath on Wednesday morning.
The man, who was a passenger in one of the cars, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver, a woman in her sixties, was seriously injured and is being treated at Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore.
The driver of the other car, a man in his thrities, and passenger in his twenties are being treated at Midland Regional Hospital Mullingar for non-life-threatening injuries.
A day earlier a man in his fifties died after his car crashed into a ditch in the same area. The man, who was travelling alone, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Taoiseach Simon Harris said: “Four lives in the last 24 hours. And I know that communities in Mayo and in Westmeath have been devastated by the news of this loss of life.
“I know I join with everybody in this House in sending our deepest sympathies to the families of those who have died.
“This tragically brings the number of lives lost on Irish roads already this year to 97.
“But of course no number can hide the reality in terms of the personal tragedy and upset.
“I just wanted to really acknowledge that as a stark reminder of the importance of road safety and the dangers on our roads.”
