Mayo community mourns as mother and young daughter die in crash

A Mayo community has been plunged into grief, following the sudden deaths of a mother and her young daughter.

The mother, who was in her 40s, and her eight-year-old daughter died yesterday evening (July 2), after their car crashed into a lorry on the N26 in County Mayo, at Callow between Foxford and Swinford at around 5:45pm.

The mother and daughter were sadly pronounced dead at the scene, and it is believed that they were from the local area. Meanwhile, the driver of the lorry was taken to hospital with injuries that are understood to be non-life threatening.

Following the heartbreaking incident, the local community has been speaking out on their shock and devastation at the loss of life.

Local Fianna Fáil councillor John Caulfield spoke on RTÉ Radio One’s Morning Ireland earlier today about the tragic deaths. 

“When news broke, it was like a cloud fell over the town again and so soon after we lost two people in Swinford in a house fire just a few months ago. Just devastation, people are just silent this morning… in shock,” he explained.

“Our thoughts are with the family this morning as they try to come to terms with this awful, devastating news,” he added.

Cllr Caulfield went on to reflect on how the little girl would have been “starting off the summer holidays with all the dreams of spending time with her parents and grandparents”.

He also expressed concern about the rise in fatalities on Irish roads in recent years. In May, it was reported that the number of road deaths in the first four months of this year was already almost a third higher than 2023’s figure for the same time period.

Referring to it as a “very worrying trend,” Cllr Caulfield added about the crash location: “There is a fear out there on the road, this is a very busy stretch of road but not known for accidents.”

If anyone has any information regarding the crash, they are being asked to contact Ballina Garda Station on 096 20560, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station.