A community is struggling to cope with the enormity of a car crash in Co Tipperary which claimed three lives, including that of a three-year-old boy, and left a family of 10 orphaned.
Tom O’Reilly (45) and his 46-year-old wife Bridget, also known as Bridgie, died in the crash near Cashel on Tuesday night which also claimed the life of their grandson, Tom (3) and left their son Tom jnr (22) and daughter-in-law Diane (22) in hospital with serious injuries.
Mr and Ms O’Reilly had four sons and six daughters, ranging in age from 22 to eight. Their grandson was their eldest son’s only child.
Mags Casey of the Tipperary Rural Traveller Project said that the crash had devastated the Traveller community not just in Cashel, where the O’Reillys have lived for generations, but around Ireland as both deceased were members of large families.
“Tom was one of 11 children while Bridgie was one of 18 children,” she said. “They have family all over the country so it’s devastating for so many people – people are in an awful state.
“It’s very cruel – it’s a big tragedy for the family and, as an organisation we are doing our best to help – six of Tom and Bridgie’s children are under 18 so we are liaising with Tusla to ensure that they stay together and are placed with the right people because Travellers are a very close-knit community.”
Ms Casey said she had received messages of support from Travellers all over the country and abroad as the O’Reillys were known for their skill with animals and were well-respected among the Travelling community.
“The O’Reilly name would be well got all over Ireland and they would be very intelligent people about dogs and horses so Travellers all over the world would have dealt with them – we are getting messages from Travellers from Donegal and Belfast down to Cork and Kerry and the UK.”
Meanwhile, Supt Kieran Ruane appealed to the public for information about the incident in which a Peugeot car, which was being driven by Tom O’Reilly jnr, crashed into a wall at Windmill, some 2.5km from Cashel, at 8.50pm on Tuesday.
The three deceased, who were rear seat passengers, were pronounced dead at the scene. Their bodies were removed to Tipperary University Hospital in Clonmel but were later transferred to University Hospital Waterford where State Pathologist, Dr Heidi Okkers carried out postmortems on Wednesday.
Tom jnr and Diane O’Reilly were taken to Tipperary University Hospital, where they are understood to be in a serious but stable condition.
Supt Ruane said it was too early to comment on the cause of the crash but said environmental factors and the roadworthiness of the vehicle would all be examined, and he asked anyone who may have dash cam footage from the area to contact Cahir Garda station on 052-6177640.
