Mother and daughters killed in Mayo crash named locally, as husband returns to Ireland

Ms Bowden was on her way back from seeing her family with her two daughters when their car collided with an articulated lorry on the N17 Galway to Sligo road near Claremorris, Co Mayo.

The vehicles involved are understood to have been travelling in opposite directions.

The lorry driver escaped physical injury.

Autopsies of the deceased took place on Wednesday morning at Mayo University Hospital. 

Ms Bowden's South African-born husband is now returning to Ireland as he had been working in Ethiopia as a project manager. He had been due to return to Ireland this weekend.

Ciara was in her first year at Salerno all-girls secondary school in Salthill, Galway, and was a member of Moycullen Basket Ball Club, while Saoirse was in Tullokyne National School, Moycullen.

A statement from the Moycullen Basketball Club, where Ciara was a player, read: "It is with enormous sadness that Cumann Cispheile Mhaigh Cuilinn has learned of the tragic deaths of our neighbours and clubmates Una, Ciara, and Saoirse Bowden."

Investigations into the collision were continuing earlier this morning. Late last night, both the car and a van, which was not directly involved, were taken from the scene.

However, the road remained closed overnight as emergency services struggled to remove the truck.

The incident brings to 54 the number of people killed on Irish roads so far this year - 12 more than the same period in 2023.

Gardaí have issued an appeal for images of the scene which are circulating on social media not to be shared further.

Incoming Taoiseach Simon Harris said yesterday was a dark and devastating day for Mayo and the entire country.

Paying tribute to the victims, Mr Harris said: "I know that at times of tragedy our country and our community never fail to rally in support of people and their grief.

On wider road safety issues - and this is something I want to take very active interest in - I am very conscious of the fact that we are losing far too many lives on our roads

Cathaoirleach of the Claremorris-Swinford Municipal District, Gerry Murray, said people in the area are devastated.

"For this family to have to endure this sort of an ordeal over the next few days and indefinitely, this is a huge, huge tragedy for all involved but particularly for the family that are impacted," said Mr Murray.

Claremorris Independent councillor Richard Finn described the shock and sadness following the road deaths.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families. It’s just a sad time. It's also difficult. And we have to compliment the emergency services that had to face such tragic scenes,” he told Newstalk Breakfast.

Mr Finn said that the stretch of road on which the accident happened was straight and had been improved in recent years, but it had previously been a blackspot before €10m refurbishment.

Transport Minister Eamon Ryan said the stretch of road will be examined and will look at what ways risk can be reduced.

"We have been speaking to TII (Transport Infrastructure Ireland) and saying that we do need to look at the carriageways where there is a specific risk," Mr Ryan said.

The Cathaoirleach of Mayo Co Council Cllr Michael Loftus spoke of the shock in the community, but also expressed his disappointment that some members of the public were posting photographs of the crash site on social media on Tuesday night.

“It's so disappointing to hear something like that is going on. What's wrong with these people going on social media doing this? I think it's a disgrace. And you have to respect the families at this time,” he told RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland.

Investigating gardaí are continuing to appeal for witnesses to the fatal incident.

Any road users with camera footage from the area at the time have been asked to make this footage available.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Claremorris Garda Station on 094 9372080, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station.

The collision came just hours after business owners Tom and Eileen Mahon, both died in a house fire in Swinford, just 30 kilometers away.