Gardaí have appealed for information following the deaths of two men and a woman in a road crash in Co Carlow.
The single-vehicle crash happened last night at around 11.30pm in the Leagh area, around 5km from Carlow town on the main road to Wexford.
The three victims have been named locally as Daryl Culbert from Kiltegan in Co Wicklow and Michael Kelly from Nurney in Co Carlow - both aged in their early 20s - as well as Katie Graham from Arles in Co Laois, who was 19.
Their deaths bring to 18 the number of road fatalities so far this year.
A fourth person in the car, a man in his 20s, was taken to St Luke's Hospital in Kilkenny with serious but non-life threatening injuries.
The bodies of the three victims were removed from the scene and taken to University Hospital Waterford for post-mortem examinations.
The N80 at Leagh was closed for a number of hours for garda forensic collision investigators to examine the scene, however it has since reopened to traffic.
Garda Superintendent Anthony Farrell, who attended the scene last night, said it was a traumatic scene, adding that his thoughts are with the families involved and gardaí who first arrived at the scene.
"In my 25 years of service, [this is] probably one of the most severe cases that I've attended. It was really, really traumatic," he said.
Supt Farrell confirmed the three people involved were aged between 19 and 22 and were "young people in the prime of their lives, just starting out".
Earlier, Garda Superintendent Liam Geraghty said gardaí are appealing to every road user over the Bank Holiday weekend to please make sure they get home safely.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar expressed his sadness over the news of the fatal crash. "Our thoughts and condolences go to the families affected, and the community as well," he said in Brussels.
Local Fianna Fáil TD Jennifer Murnane-O'Connor said the stretch of road involved is "very well known" as a dangerous spot.
"I know that Carlow County Council and the councillors have been well aware of it and have been working on a project on it and I know TII [Transport Infrastructure Ireland] are very much aware of it too.
"Look, it's the urgency of this now. We cannot have any more fatalities on our roads. One is too many. We need to have proper infrascture, proper safety issues on our road signage. All these things will make such a huge difference."
She said the thoughts of everyone are with the families of the victims.
"The people of Carlow are shocked," she said.
"There's a sadness at the loss of three young lives, there's another young person gone to hospital as well. You have to give your sympathy to the families and we have to be respectful of the families too, but we're all in shock, we're all devastated over what has happened here today."
Parish priest called to the scene
Local parish priest Fr Tom Little said he got a call at around midnight last night to go to the scene.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, he said the area where the crash occurred is known locally as Leagh bends and described it as a bad part of the road, where there have been a number of fatalities previously.
Fr Little said emergency services were in attendance when he arrived, but "sadly three young people were dead".
He said he administered last rites and said it is a terrible loss for their families.
"It's just so sad that so many young people lose their lives in car accidents," he said.
State of shock
Mayor of Carlow, Fine Gael councillor Tom O'Neill, said the people of Carlow were in a state of shock and deeply saddened.
Speaking on RTÉ's News at One, he said: "I just cannot imagine the sorrow and grief that these families are going through. Our thoughts are with them during this incredibly difficult time".
He thanked the emergency services for their response to the accident.
"We want to wish a speedy recovery to the fourth person who has been transferred to St Luke’s hospital."
Mr O'Neill said they did not know if the victims were from local families, but he expected to find out later today.
Cathaoirleach of Carlow County Council Councillor Andrea Dalton said local communities in Carlow are "all devastated" for the families who have lost loved ones in the crash.
She described the sadness around "three young lives lost" and expressed her sympathy also to the person who was seriously injured.
"I don't think it gets much worse," she said.
"Three families have been destroyed or devastated. Three communities and another poor young fellow whose life has been irrevocably changed...awful news to wake up to this morning in Carlow."
Gardaí are appealing to any road users who may have camera footage (including dash-cam) and were travelling on the N80 at Leagh between 11.15pm and midnight, to contact Carlow Garda Station on 059 913 6620, the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111, or any garda station.
