Man arrested over car crash that killed three Donegal women

Mother, daughter and friend died on way home from holidays in Turkey

Margaret McGonagle (left), her daughter, Mairead Mundy and Racheal Casidy Battles
Margaret McGonagle (left), her daughter, Mairead Mundy and Racheal Casidy Battles

A man has been arrested over a crash in which three women were killed in Co Louth, just south of the Border, in July.

The women killed were returning to their Donegal homes after a holiday in Turkey.

A man in his early 30s was arrested on Friday morning in connection with the crash. He has been detained at Carrickmacross Garda station in Co Monaghan.

The suspect was being questioned under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act.

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Those killed were 69-year-old Margaret McGonagle from Castlereagh in Bruckless; her daughter, Mairead Mundy (37), from Ballyloughan in Bruckless; and Racheal Cassidy Battles (39), also from Ballyloughan in Bruckless. The families live next to each other on the five-house estate.

The crash occurred at about 1am near Aclint, Co Louth, on Thursday July 20th.

A number of other family members also went on the trip including Racheal’s husband Martin and Mairead’s husband, Pauric Mundy.

The main purpose of the holiday was to celebrate the couple’s first wedding anniversary. The male members of the party were travelling in a separate car at the time of the crash.

Conor Lally

Conor Lally

Conor Lally is Security and Crime Editor of The Irish Times