Two teenagers killed in Donegal crash were returning from work

TWO teenagers were tragically killed in Inishowen as they made their way home from work in the early hours of Monday morning.

Friends Alana Harkin and Thomas Gallagher lost their lives in a single-vehicle collision at Terrawee, Gleneely at around 12.30am.

The third occupant of the car, also a male in his late teens, was taken to Letterkenny University Hospital. He is receiving treatment for injuries that are believed to be non-life threatening.

A fourth person had been dropped off at home in the Malin area just minutes before tragedy struck.

Alana, who completed her Leaving Certificate in the summer, and Thomas, a student at Moville Community College, were pronounced dead at the scene and their bodies were removed to Letterkenny University Hospital. Their remains will soon be released to their heartbroken families.

Gardai and emergency services rushed to the scene of the crash and the R238 is closed to traffic this morning. Local diversions were put in place to allow for a technical examination be carried out by Forensic Collision Investigators from An Garda Siochana.

Fr Eddie Gallagher told parishioners at Mass in St. Pius X Church, Moville on Monday morning that ‘a veil of sorrow’ had come upon the parish as news of the horror crash filtered out.

Culdaff-based Fine Gael Councillor Johnny McGuinness said it was a ‘terrible tragedy’.

“Everyone is in shock here,” he said. “It was just kids on their way home from work. It wasn't like they were partying late at night or anything. They were on the way home from working all day in the restaurant in Carndonagh.”

The Cathaoirleach of the Inishowen Municipal District, Councillor Terry Crossan described the news as ‘absolutely horrendous’

“It’s something that we have had too much of over the years,” Councillor Crossan said.

“It is such a tragic time. There has been an increase in road deaths this year and it’s something that everybody, including the government, needs to take a long hard look at.

“Because of the increase in tragedies of this kind, we all have to be cognisant of the need to make sure roads are as safe as they possibly can be.”

The collision is the latest multi-fatality crash to rock the Inishowen peninsula.

In July 2010, eight men including a party of seven young friends, were killed in what remains the worst crash in the history of the State at Glasmullan on the R238 Buncrana-Clonmany road.

In 2004, three teenagers were killed in a road traffic accident at Ballymagan, Buncrana while two separate accidents at Quigley’s Point and Buncrana each claimed five lives in October 2005 and February 2006.

Two teenagers died in a road traffic collision on the R238 between Quigley’s Point and Moville in 2017 while John Mullan and his children Tomás (14) and Amelia (6) died when family's car fell into Lough Foyle in August 2010 as they travelled on the R238.

Councillor Crossan said: “We need to do anything we can to lessen the amount of such tragedies. Inishowen has been particularly badly hit over many years. Any time you hear of something like this it is absolutely heartbreaking.

The latest deaths bring to seven the number of people who have been killed on Donegal roads in 2023.

Nationwide, there have been 163 toad traffic deaths in Ireland this year - a rise of almost 30 per cent in comparison with last year.

Gardaí in Buncrana continue to appeal to anyone who may have witnessed this collision to contact them.

A Garda spokesperson said: “Any road users who were travelling on the R238 in the early hours of this morning between midnight and 1:00am and has camera footage (including dash-cam), is asked to make this available to Gardaí.

“Anyone with any information is asked to contact Buncrana Garda Station on 074 932 0540, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda station.”