Garda at the scene on the L3168 just outside Dundalk, Co Louth

The Republic of Ireland is in a state of shock after a ‘heartbreaking’ car crash in Co Louth on Saturday night.

Five people died and another three were injured in the horrific two-car collision in Co Louth.

Here’s everything we know so far.

The crash occurred on the L3168, Gibstown, just outside Dundalk, Co. Louth just after 9pm last night.

The incident involved two vehicles – a Volkswagen Golf and a Toyota Landcruiser.

 

Garda at the scene on the L3168 just outside Dundalk, Co Louth, where five people died died(Image: Damien Eagers/PA Wire)

 

It’s believed that six people were travelling in the Golf, with five of them sadly pronounced dead at the scene. The victims included three men and two women, all in their 20s.

According to Gardaí, the deceased were from Carrickmacross in Co Monaghan and Drumconrath in Co Meath, while one of the women was originally from Scotland.

The group of mates were thought to be en route to a social gathering when the tragedy struck.

 

 

 

 

 

The sixth man in the Golf was urgently transported to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Drogheda with serious but non-life threatening injuries, reports the Irish Mirror.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two people were in the Toyota Landcruiser and they too were taken to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda with non-life threatening injuries.

The road remains shut today as Garda forensic collision investigators conduct an examination of the scene.

Those who died have been named as Chloe McGee, 23 from, Carickmacross; Alan McCluskey, 23, from Drumconrath; Dylan Commins, 23, from Ardee in Co Louth; Shay Duffy, 21, from Carrickmacross; and Chloe Hipson, 21, from Lanarkshire, Scotland.

 

 

 

What have the Gardai said?

Superintendent Charlie Armstrong, from Dundalk Garda Station, said: “I want to express my condolences and sympathies and the sympathies of every member of An Garda Síochána to the families of the 5 young adults who lost their lives yesterday evening in this Road Traffic Collision.

“Last night members of An Garda Síochána supported by other emergency services including Dundalk Fire Brigade, HSE Paramedics and staff at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Drogheda initiated a major incident response.”

The Superintendent continued: “The scene here on the L3168, Gibstown, remains closed today and a technical and forensic examination is being carried out by An Garda Síochána Forensic Collision investigators.

“An Garda Síochána have notified the local Coroner’s Office and the Office of the State Pathologist and Post Mortems will be carried out over the coming days.”