The death of four young men in a single vehicle crash close to Gort an Choirce in west Donegal was yet another appalling tragedy in a county already far too familiar with carnage on its roads.
A full investigation is under way into Sunday’s accident which claimed the lives of John Harley from Fál Carragh and Mícheál Roarty from Gaoth Dobhair, both aged 24, Sean Harkin from Fál Carragh who was 22 and Daniel Scott from Gort an Choirce who was also in his 20s.
The cause has yet to be established but on previous occasions it is clear that a combination of difficult rural driving conditions and excessive speed has frequently had devastating consequences across Donegal.
Stark figures compiled by the Road Safety Authority have indicated that the annual level of traffic fatalities in the county is regularly twice the average for the rest of Ireland.
There will be enormous sympathy for the latest victims and it is essential that all road users in Donegal and elsewhere are fully aware of the dangers they face in the course of every journey.
