Michael O'Toole

A vehicle suspected of being stolen was allegedly driven the wrong way along Dublin’s M50 and N3 before crashing and being abandoned in Ashtown. Gardaí are investigating after the driver failed to stop, although no other vehicle was struck. The incident occurred days after a fatal M9 collision in Kildare that killed five teenagers and seriously injured four occupants of another car.

Five teenagers aged 15 to 18 died after a BMW collided head-on with a Hyundai on the M9 in County Kildare, Ireland. The four surviving members of the Hyundai’s family remain seriously or critically injured after travelling toward Dublin Airport for a wedding in England. Gardaí now believe the BMW had been legitimately purchased rather than stolen, while Fiosrú examines police contact with the vehicle before the crash. The deaths have prompted criticism of Garda pursuit procedures and calls for improved training and road-safety enforcement amid concern over dangerous driving videos shared on social media.

Five young males died after a BMW travelling southbound against traffic on the northbound M9 near Athy, County Kildare, collided with a car carrying an extended family. Three women and a seven-year-old child in the second vehicle were seriously injured and remain in hospital. The victims’ bodies were taken to Naas General Hospital for post-mortem examinations, while the road was expected to reopen. An Garda Síochána said the incident has been referred to Fiosrú and highlighted the dangers of deliberate wrong-way motorway driving, including behaviour undertaken for social-media attention.

A violent brawl involving several men took place on Shop Street in Tuam, County Galway, with footage reportedly showing a machete, acid-like substance and wheel brace being used. One man suffered serious facial and eye injuries, while three men in their 30s and 40s were treated in hospital for serious but non-life-threatening injuries. Gardaí arrested a man in his 40s and are seeking camera or mobile-phone footage from witnesses as they investigate an escalating local feud.