Nationwide Reaction Following Kildare M9 Collision That Resulted In Five Deaths And Four Being Hospitalised

The incident occurred in the early hours of the morning after a BMW driven by five teenagers was driven the wrong way on the M9

A number of figures have shared their thoughts following yesterday's road collision that resulted in five deaths of teenage boys and left four others in a serious condition.

The incident occurred in the early hours of the morning after a BMW driven by five teenagers was driven the wrong way on the M9, before colliding with another car near Moone.

The five teenagers died following the collision.

According to the Irish Independent,  the boys have been named as Joey Carthy (15) and Jack Kennedy (17) from Athy; Alex McCarthy (17) and his cousin Jeremy O’Brien (18) from Carlow; and Kamil Pustkowski (17) from Limerick.

Four people in the other car, which includes two women in their 30s and a woman in their 20s, as well as a seven-year-old boy, remain in hospital today.

Two of the women are in a critical condition.

They had been on the way to Dublin Airport.

According to The Irish Times, they were named locally, as sisters Alma and Niamh Kinsella who were in the front seats while their younger sister Ellie Hendricken (20s) was a rear-seat passenger alongside her nephew.

Reacting to the news, Athy parish priest, Father Seamus McEntee, says the parish will offer prayers for the five teenagers who lost their lives, and those that remain in hospital, following the collision.

He added that it should have been a happy experience for them, heading off on their travels.

The Garda Representative Association have suggested for one-way stinger devices to be installed on motorway slip roads.

The devices would deflate the tyres of any vehicle which goes the wrong way down a slip road.

The Garda Representative Association has asked for frontline members to be trained properly to deal with pursuits.

A Garda Spontaneous Pursuits Policy was introduced in 2024 - but sources say very few members in the country are fully certified to engage in pursuits.

The Justice Minister says Gardaí will start receiving pursuit training this year.

Jim O'Callaghan also says a new offence may be considered for those who make a "deliberate decision to drive their vehicles the wrong way down a motorway."

Meanwhile, the Taoiseach says there can be "no tolerance" for reckless driving which has been seen on the roads recently.