Tributes paid to GAA players killed in Tyrone crash

Two men killed in a car crash in Co Tyrone on Saturday morning have been named locally as Maurice McCloughan and Killian Doherty.

The men who were from Fintona and Drumquin respectively were both GAA players.

The accident happened on the A5 Doogary Road in Omagh shortly after 8 am.

A statement issued by Mr Doherty’s GAA club said Drumquin had suffered a “devastating loss.”

“Killian had huge potential as a footballer, however, above his sporting ability he was a friend to all who knew him and will be sorely missed.”

Mr McCloughan’s GAA club, Fintona Pearses, said they were “all saddened by the tragic news.”

Local SDLP Assembly member Daniel McCrossan said “two families, an entire community were deeply devastated by the reality of these people losing their lives by what is, and continues to be, an extremely dangerous road”.

As the Police Service of Northern Ireland investigate the crash, they have made no comment about how or why it happened, or made any suggestion about driver fault.

The deaths bring to 66 the number of people killed on Northern Ireland’s roads so far this year.