Gardaí arrested a man for questioning in Galway yesterday after the deaths of two young men in a single car crash in the north of the county.
The man, who had been held at Mill Street Garda station under section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, is believed to have been the driver of the vehicle. He was released without charge last night and a file is being prepared for the DPP. The vehicle crashed into a wall at the Loughgeorge junction of the N17 Galway-Tuam and N63 Galway-Roscommon road at about 3.45am yesterday.
One of the four occupants died at the scene, while a second died in hospital at about lunchtime yesterday. A third man was still in a critical condition last night at University College Hospital, Galway (UCHG).
The two men who died were Liam Loughlin (19), Lydican, Oranmore, and Niall Greaney, Cahernascelleeney, who was due to celebrate his 20th birthday this weekend. Both were students and were very involved in sport in the Claregalway area.
Niall Greaney was studying at Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, and was a member of the Turloughmore senior hurling squad. Liam Loughlin was in first year arts at NUI Galway and has played football for Claregalway.
Mr Greaney is survived by his parents John and Greta, his sister Linda and brother Seán. Mr Loughlin is survived by his father Charlie, who is a Garda at Oranmore, his mother Mary and brothers Brian and Éamon.
Two units of Galway and Athenry fire brigades had to use cutting equipment to free the occupants of the Toyota car, and Mr Greaney was pronounced dead at the scene. Mr Loughlin died some hours later at UCHG.
Gardaí put traffic restrictions in place on the N17 for a number of hours after the crash, and have appealed for witnesses. They have also appealed for witnesses to a separate two-car collision at Derrydonnell Cross near Athenry yesterday.
The collision occurred at the junction of the N6 Galway-Dublin road and the road to Athenry at 7.30am.
The driver of one of the vehicles was in a critical condition last night at UCHG, while the second driver was said to be stable.