Two 14-year-olds have been killed following a car crash in Co Galway this morning.
The deceased, a boy and a girl, were among four occupants involved in a single vehicle collision, outside Headford.
They died after the car in which they were travelling veered onto a ditch and collided with a tree, a short distance from the N84 between Galway and Castlebar.
Two others, a 13-year-old boy and a 14-year-old girl, are both said to be in a serious condition in hospital.
The incident happened at 5.45am this morning.
All of those involved were from the Headford area and were junior cycle students at the town's Presentation College.
This evening, the school's Board of Management is meeting to implement a critical incident plan.
This will involve the provision of psychological, emotional and spiritual care to the friends and classmates of the deceased and injured.
These supports will be provided over the coming days and will continue when classes resume after the Easter break next week.
Local Fianna Fáil councillor and chair of the school’s Board of Management, Mary Hoade, said the community around Headford had been devastated by this morning’s tragedy.
She described the loss of two local children as a hammer blow to the school and said every effort would be made to support the friends of those who died.
Garda technical experts spent much of the day conducting a detailed examination of the crash site.
Detectives investigating the incident have appealed for any witnesses, or motorists with dash cam footage that may be of benefit to the inquiry, to contact them.
As they work to piece together the events that led to the fatalities, investigators are hoping to determine how the four teenagers came to be in the car at the time the crash happened.
They are particularly keen to hear from anyone who may have been on the L6127 at Glennagarraun, Balyfruit, near Headford, between 5.30am and 6am.
Speaking on RTÉ's Drivetime, the Catholic Primate of All Ireland, Eamon Martin expressed his sadness.
"Our hearts and our prayers really go out to the families impacted this evening," he said.
"We’re thinking about them in our prayers this evening."
