Five killed in Galway’s horror weekend

Date Published: 31-Jul-2007

In one of the worst periods of carnage on Galway roads, five people have lost their lives in separate accidents over the space of three days — one of the victims had worked as a driver for the last city mayor.

Thirty-year-old Barry Kelly, from Church Street, Athenry — an estate agent who had worked as a driver for Mayor Niall Ó Brolcháin — died in a single vehicle accident on Sunday morning last.

The late Mr. Kelly had been driving his car at Clamper Park between Athenry and Craughwell at about 8 am when it apparently went out of control and crashed. Galway Fire Brigade members had to use cutting equipment to help release two other passengers who were in the car. Both were removed to University College Hospital — their injuries are not believed to be life threatening.

Former Mayor Niall Ó Brolcháin said that he and his family were devastated at the news of Barry Kelly’s death. “He was a man of very many talents who had great generosity of spirit,” said Cllr. Ó Brolcháin.

The Office of the Garda Ombudsman are investigating a road accident near Oughterard village in the early hours of Sunday morning which claimed the life of a pedestrian.

53-year-old David Solman, an employee of the Connemara Gateway Hotel, lost his life as he walked in the Glebe area — close to the hotel — when struck by a car being driven by an off-duty Garda shortly before 2 am.

Meanwhile at around 2 am on Sunday, a 23-year-old Glenamaddy man was killed in a single vehicle collision near the village of Williamstown in the North-East Galway area. His car had left the road ending up in a field.

Gary Keaveney was pronounced dead at the scene. He was an only child and is survived by his mother Mrs. Margaret Keaveney.

A 36-year-old man lost his life when the motorcycle he was riding went out of control on the main Ballinasloe to Shannonbridge Road at Sralea shortly at about 11.45 pm on Sunday night.

It is understood that the motorcycle struck a wall and threw the deceased onto the road where he was attended to by a number of local people.He was removed from the scene by ambulance and taken to Portiuncula Hospital where he died from his injuries.

The motorcyclist had been earlier observed by officers at a Garda checkpoint and was followed. A Garda Ombudsman representative has visited the scene of the accident to carry out an investigation. Part of the road between Ballinasloe and Shannonbridge remained closed on Monday while investigations were being carried out.

The dead man has been named locally as Gerry Carty (36) from Sralea, Ballinasloe.

Last Thursday night, a 48- year-old Abbeyknockmoy man was killed close to his own home when the tractor he was driving collided with a roadside ditch and overturned. John Joe Geoghegan, a single man, died at the scene of the crash which occurred at about 11.20 pm on the Abbey to Monivea road.