The deaths of a mother and daughter in an ‘horrific’ car crash in County Mayo yesterday evening has further traumatised the local community, according to the parish priest.

The crash, involving a car and a lorry, happened on the N26 at Lismoran in Foxford just before 6pm yesterday evening.

A woman and her child were killed in the crash and the driver of the lorry was hospitalised with non-life threatening injuries.

On Newstalk Breakfast, Swinford Parish Priest Fr John Durkan described it as “terrible” news. 

“This isn’t the only accident that has happened in recent times here,” he said. 

“There was an accident that happened involving five very young fellas recently and there have been many others which maybe didn’t get a lot of coverage. 

“In the last month, there’s been six or seven that I have come across and heard of.” 

Community reaction

Fr Durkan said yesterday’s news just “adds to the trauma of everyone” in a part of the country where a significant number of people have been involved in car crashes. 

“I’ve been speaking to a woman who lives right beside where [the accident] happened,” he said. 

“She was actually the chairperson of the pastoral council and she was saying it was horrific. 

“Somebody belonging to her had been in an accident not too long ago, so it brought back all the trauma to her as well.” 

Over the next few days, Fr Durkan believes the community will come together to heal and reflect on their loss. 

“We plan to have a holy hour in the Church which is right beside where that happened,” he said. 

“We have had holy hours and strangely enough on a Sunday about a month ago, we had a holy hour in the Church and one of the specific things I prayed about was road traffic accidents. 

“That same evening, the five young lads got involved in a horrific car accident. 

“So, we’ll do something like that in the near future.” 

Fr Durkan also said he was grateful for the work of those who were called out to the scene of the crash. 

“I have to thank the Gardaí and the emergency people and the Fire Brigade, all the ambulance staff - I have to thank them because they have to deal with that regularly,” he said. 

“It can’t be easy at times.” 

So far in 2024, 97 people have died on Irish roads - 12 more than in the same period last year. 

You can listen back here:

Main image: A Garda leaves flowers at the scene of a car crash. Photograph: Sasko Lazarov / © RollingNews.ie