FUNERAL details have been announced for four of the five young people who tragically died in a road traffic collision in Co. Louth at the weekend.
Chloe McGee, Alan McCluskey and Dillon Commins, all 23, and 21-year-olds Shay Duffy and Chloe Hipson died after the Volkswagen Golf they were travelling in was involved in a collision with a Toyota Landcruiser.
Three other people were injured in the incident, which occurred shortly after 9pm on Saturday on the Ardee Road in the townland of Gibstown, Dundalk.
After gardaí said today that post-mortem examinations had been completed, funeral details were announced for four of the deceased — Ms McGee, Mr McCluskey, Mr Commins and Mr Duffy.
Meanwhile, a fundraiser to help Ms Hipson's family with funeral expenses and to facilitate her return to her native Scotland has so far raised more than £30,000.
Funerals
The funeral for Mr McCluskey, from Corstown, Drumconrath, Navan, Co. Meath, will take place at St Peter and Paul's Church, Drumconrath at 10am on Friday, November 21, with burial afterwards in Drumconrath Cemetery.
Mr Commins, of Coole, Ardee, Co. Louth, will be laid to rest later that day.
His funeral will be held at the Church of the Nativity of Our Lady, Ardee at 2pm on Friday, followed by his burial in Old St Mary's Cemetery.
The funeral of Ms McGee, of Barnadonagh, Carrickmacross, Co. Monaghan, will take place on Saturday, November 22, at St Joseph's Church in Carrickmacross at 11am.
She will be laid to rest in the family plot in St Joseph's Cemetery.
The five young people who died were all aged just 23 or under (Images: via An Garda Síochána)Mr Duffy, of Mullyore, Carrickmacross, Co. Monaghan, will be laid to rest later on Saturday, with his funeral at 1pm at St Patrick's Church, Rockchapel, followed by burial in the adjoining cemetery.
Ms Hipson, who is from Bellshill, North Lanarkshire in Scotland, was studying at Dundalk Institute of Technology.
Her funeral details have yet to be announced, however, a gathering of friends and family was held this afternoon at the Eternity Room of Quinn's Funeral Homes in Dundalk.
The GoFundMe page set up by a member Bellshill Amateurs, for whom Ms Hipson's brother plays, said she was 'a young woman ready to live her life taken from her family far too soon'.
"We are looking to help the Hipson family raise funds towards funeral costs and the costs of bringing Chloe home so that they can say their goodbyes properly and give her the loving send-off she deserves," read the appeal.
Appeal
In a statement today, gardaí said a man in his 20s, who was in the car with the five young people who passed away, had been discharged from hospital.
"The two occupants of the other vehicle (Toyota Landcruiser), a male and a female in their 20s, remain in hospital where they continue to receive medical treatment for non-life-threatening injuries," added the statement.
Gardaí are continuing to appeal to anyone with any information on the collision to contact the investigation team at Dundalk Garda Station.
They want to hear from anyone who was on the L3168 between 8.30pm and 9.15pm on Saturday, November 15, particularly if they have any camera footage or images from the area at that time.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact Dundalk Garda Station on 042 938 8400, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666111 or any garda station.
