A young Clare woman was killed in a road traffic accident in the United States on Wednesday. Four others, three of whom are also believed to be Irish, were injured, one seriously.
Ms Margaret Brohan (19), from Spancil Hill, a talented sean-nós and traditional Irish dancer, died when the car in which she was a passenger collided with a pick-up truck early on Wednesday morning. The accident happened in Robinson township, a suburb of Pittsburgh.
Ms Brohan had been on a trip to the US with the Rhythm of the Dance Troupe, having recently completed a two-week tour of Scandinavia with the group.
According to Robinson Township Police, she was a back-seat passenger in the Volkswagen car. A man sitting beside her was critically injured. He was rushed to Allegheny General Hospital with two other passengers from the car, along with the driver of the pick-up.
The spokesman added: "There were no witnesses, so we have to reconstruct the scene before we can tell what happened". Allegheny County homicide detectives spent several hours yesterday "reconstructing the wreck".
The Rhythm of the Dance Troupe had given an impromptu performance at Mullaney's Harp and Fiddle in the strip district of Pittsburgh only hours before the crash. A scheduled performance in Wheeling, West Virginia, on Wednesday night was cancelled following the crash.
Balladeer Robbie McMahon paid tribute to Ms Brohan, saying: "I have seen sean-nós dancers all over the world, and no one could touch her. She was a topper. She was on top of the world heading off on the tour. She will be an awful loss."
"I remember," he said, "Margaret always blessed herself before she got up to dance. She was a great girl altogether and she will be sadly missed."
Ms Brohan is survived by her parents and two sisters.