NUI Galway has said it is shocked and deeply saddened at the deaths of four of its students in a road accident in the county.
The four women were killed when their car collided with a truck on a bend on the main N17 road at Carrownurlaur, about 2km from Ballindine.
The victims have been named as Marie Ní Chonaile, 19, from Baile na hAbhann, Connemara; Teresa Molloy, 19, from Leitir Mór, Connemara; Sarah Byrne, 20, from Headford, Co Galway; and Sorcha Rose McLaughlin, 19, from Mulgannon, Co Wexford.
The fifth woman remains in a critical condition and is being transferred from Mayo General Hospital to Beaumont Hospital in Dublin.
The Vice-President for Student Affairs at NUI Galway, Mary O'Riordan, said the students were in the College of Arts, studying Irish or involved with the Irish language.
She said the university has made arrangements for counselling for grieving fellow students.
The crash happened at around 7.30pm last night. Driving conditions in the area were exceptionally bad at the time, with heavy rain and poor visibility.
The collision happened on a narrow stretch of road at what is locally known as an accident blackspot.
The accident was one of the worst in the west of Ireland in recent times.
The road between Milltown and Ballindine is closed and will not be opened to traffic until a full examination is carried out by garda collision investigators.
Gardaí have appealed for any witnesses to the crash to come forward.
Man killed in Jordanstown crash
Separately, a man has died after the car in which he was travelling was involved in a collision with a lorry at Jordanstown, Co Antrim.
Two other occupants of the car have been taken to hospital. One is described as being in a serious condition.
The collision happened shortly before 2am this morning.
