TWO IRISH cousins were killed in a car crash in Victoria, Australia, on New Year's Day.
JJ Leonard (19), Athy, Co Kildare and Michael Curtis (20), Co Carlow, died after their car veered off the road near a busy junction an hour outside Melbourne.
According to Victoria police, they were killed when their car swerved off the road in the early morning of New Year's Day and flipped several times, killing the driver instantly and his passenger shortly after. The car was discovered by passing motorists.
Mr Curtis had been living in Australia since January of last year, shortly followed by Mr Leonard who arrived in May.
Both of the cousins were living with a family member in the Bacchus Marsh area and maintained jobs there.
"They were two lovely young fellows, very hard working and always up for the craic," said Michael's grandfather, Mick Kane.
Their grieving mothers have since travelled to Australia for repatriation of the bodies, which is expected to take approximately one week.
The incident occurred just days after Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin expressed concern at the rising number of Irish deaths overseas.