TWO young men have been killed on the north's roads in less than 24 hours.
A 18-year-old man, named locally as A-level student Conall O'Hare, died after his car crashed on Ballydugan Road outside Downpatrick at around 10.30pm on Tuesday.
And yesterday afternoon, a 21-year-old motorcyclist died in a collision with a tractor near Gilford in Co Armagh.
The motorcyclist was James Campbell from Gilford.
The crash happened on the Ballymacanallen Road at around 1.25pm
Mr O'Hare, from Castlewellan, was a student at St Patrick's Grammar School in Downpatrick.
It is understood his car, a Peugeot 207, left the road and hit a tree close to the junction of the Lake Road.
Requiem Mass will be celebrated at St Patrick's Church, Bryansford, at 11am on Saturday.
Mr O'Hare is the third 18-year-old man to die in a road crash in the area since January.
Matthew Davis was killed in a collision close to Saintfield, Co Down, while earlier this month Christopher Martin died when the car he was driving left the road near Crossgar.
Mr Davis and Mr Martin had been former pupils at St Colmcille's High School in Crossgar. Mr Martin was also a former pupil of St Patrick's Grammar where he completed his A-levels.
SDLP South Down MP Margaret Ritchie said news of Mr O'Hare's death had "shocked the community in Downpatrick".
"The loss of any life on our roads is a shock but to lose someone so young, with so much to live for, is a profound tragedy," she said.
Sinn Féin South Down MLA Chris Hazzard said: "This news will have shocked many people in the local area. Any death on our roads is one too many."
The Ballydugan Road was closed for several hours between Bonecastle Road and Bucks Head Road.
Police have appealed to anyone with information to contact officers on 101.
