Pregnant woman (34) dies after car crash at lake outside Galway city

Irene Lynch had been in a critical condition in hospital since the incident on March 15th and died on Monday

Irene Lynch (34) died after the car she was travelling in entered a turlough close to the River Corrib
Irene Lynch (34) died after the car she was travelling in entered a turlough close to the River Corrib

A woman in her 30s has died in hospital after the car she was travelling in crashed into a turlough close to the River Corrib, Co Galway, ten days ago.

The incident happened shortly before 7am on Friday, March 15th, in the village of Mionloc at Menlo pier on the outskirts of Galway city.

The woman – named locally as mother-of-two Irene Lynch (34) from Athlone, Co Westmeath – was a front-seat passenger in the vehicle.

Ms Lynch, who was pregnant, was taken to University Hospital Galway where she had been in a critical condition, and she died on Monday evening.

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The driver, a man in his 40s, was also brought to hospital at the time for injuries, not thought to be life-threatening.

The incident happened on a stretch of road adjacent to a turlough, known locally as An Lochán. The car – a Dacia Duster – hit a wall before careering across the narrow road and crashing through a low wall, adjacent to the flood plain.

On hitting the wall, the vehicle overturned and landed upside down in the water.

Gardaí have appealed for any witnesses to the crash and have asked those with any camera footage to make it available.

A total of 48 people have been killed on Irish roads so far in 2024. In the same period in 2023, 38 were killed, in a year that was itself a nine-year high for road deaths.