The five young people who died in a two-vehicle car crash in Ireland have been named by police.

The fatal collision happened on the L3168 at Gibstown, Co Louth, shortly after 9pm last night.

The tragic youths who died have been named as Chloe McGee, 23, and Shay Duffy, 21, both from Carrickmacross; Alan McCluskey, 23, and Dillon Commins, 23, both from Drumconrath, and 21-year-old Chloe Hipson from Lanarkshire in Scotland.

The five young adults were in a Volkswagen Golf involved in the collision with a Toyota Landcruiser near Dundalk yesterday evening.

They are believed to have been on their way to Dundalk for a night-out, Irish police said.

A sixth person who was in the car, also aged in his 20s, continues to receive medical treatment in hospital for non-life threatening injuries.

Ireland’s deputy premier Simon Harris said a ‘veil of deep sadness’ has come over the country, while Irish police described the incident as ‘shocking and devastating’.

The three young males and two females tragically died at the scene of the crash.

Chloe Hipson, 21, from Lanarkshire in Scotland, died in the fatal collision

Chloe McGee, 23, from from Carrickmacross, also lost her life in the two-vehicle crash

Alan McCluskey, 23, from Drumconrath, was one of three young men to die in the accident

Shay Duffy, 21, from Carrickmacross, also lost his life in the tragedy last night

Dillon Commins, 23, from Drumconrath, died in the fatal incident yesterday

Irish police at the scene on the L3168 just outside Dundalk, Co Louth, where three men and two women aged in their 20s have died following a road traffic collision