TWO families are in mourning following a horrific Mother’s Day accident that claimed the lives of two female drivers and left two children seriously injured.
The women were named today as 41-year-old mum-of-two Susan O’Sullivan, from Beechwood Park, Mallow, Co Cork and 63-year-old Mary Coughlan from King’s Square in Mitchelstown, Co Cork.
The two-car accident happened around 3.45pm on Sunday on the main N72 Mallow to Killarney road near Cork Racetrack.
Both drivers were pronounced dead at the scene and their bodies have been taken to Cork University Hospital morgue for post mortem examinations.
Ms O’Sullivan was driving the car in which her two children, aged five and eight, survived the crash.
They were taken to Cork University Hospital with serious, but not life threatening injuries.
Susan and her children had visited family in Boherbue and were on their way back home to Mallow when the fatal crash occurred.
Local Fianna Fáil councillor Bernard Moynihan said there is a deep sense of sadness in the community.
He said: “Yesterday evening, as the word spread among the community, people were shocked at the news.
“My sympathies to the families. They are special people, well-known people, hard-working decent people, especially across Western Duhallow and Boherbue.”
Gardai and emergency services attended at the scene as did a number of fire brigade units from the area.
The road was covered in debris from the damaged cars and was closed until midnight on Sunday.
‘IT IS HORRIFIC’
Ms Coughlan, who is understood to be originally from Athlone, had just recently retired from her job with a bank and had worked in East Cork including Midleton and Youghal.
She was described by locals in Mitchelstown as “being quiet and with a small circle of friends”.
Councillor Tony O’Shea said the entire north Cork area was left shocked by the loss of life.
He said: “It is horrific. The entire area is numb. The thoughts and prayers of everyone are with the families involved.”
‘EVERYONE IS SHOCKED’
Councillor Patrick Hayes said the local community was reeling from the tragedy
He said: “Everyone is shocked by the loss of life involved.
“All we can do is keep the families in our thoughts and hope that all those injured make a full recovery.”
Superintendent Gary McPolin said the accident which took two lives was “a terrible tragedy”.
APPEAL FOR INFO
He said: “We are appealing to the public for information and are particularly interested in speaking to drivers who travelled on the road between 3.30pm and 4pm.
“Anyone with camera footage including dash cams and any premises with CCTV should contact Mallow Garda Station.”
The drivers who lost their lives near Mallow were two of four women who died over the weekend.
A pedestrian in her 30s lost her brave three-day battle for life after she was seriously injured in a road traffic collision on Friday in Kilkenny.
SEPARATE CRASHES
The woman was injured following a collision on the N76 at Westcourt Demesne, Callan, Co Kilkenny around 9pm on March 28.
She was rushed to St Luke’s Hospital in Kilkenny but died early on Monday from her injuries.
Kilkenny gardai have appealed to anyone who was on the N76 at the time between 8.45pm and 9.15pm last Friday to contact them.
And a woman also died on Mother’s Day in an N25 collision in Co Waterford on Sunday.
She has not yet been named but it’s understood she was a Polish national who has been living over recent times in Tallow.
The drivers who lost their lives near Mallow were two of four women who died over the weekend[/caption]
