Emma Mackarel, 37, died in a crash on Monaghan on Thursday morning. She was the third person to die on the nation’s roads in 12 hours.
21:16, 18 Dec 2025Updated 21:37, 18 Dec 2025
Gardai are now appealing for witnesses to come forward. Photo: Niall Carson/PA Wire(Image: Niall Carson/PA Wire)
A young mum has become the third person to die on the nation’s road in just 12 hours.
The victim, who has been named locally as Emma Mackarel, lost her life in a collision in her Co Monaghan on Thursday morning. Mrs Mackarel, who was 37, was from just outside Clones in Co Monaghan. She was a mother of two.
She died in an accident on the N2 close to Castleblayney, also in Co Monaghan. Mrs Mackarel died when the car she was driving was in collision with a lorry at Annalitten at around 8am. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
The lorry driver, who is a foreign national in his 50s, was arrested and was still in custody at a Garda station on Thursday night.
Gardaí have appealed for witnesses to come forward. The force said in a statement: “Gardaí and emergency services were alerted to a collision involving a HGV and a car on the N2 at Mullaghnee, Annalitten, Castleblayney that occurred at approximately 8:00am.
“The driver of the car, a female in her 30s, was pronounced deceased at the scene. Her body was removed to the mortuary at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, where a post-mortem examination will take place in due course.
“No other injuries reported at this time. A man aged in his 50s has been arrested and is currently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984 at a station in the Garda North Western Region.
“The road is currently closed pending a technical examination by Garda Forensic Collision Investigators and local diversions are in place. Gardaí are appealing to anyone who may have witnessed this collision to contact them.
“Any road users, who may have camera footage (including dash-cam) and were traveling on the N2 between Castleblayney and Broomfield between 7:30am and 8:15am are asked to make this footage available to investigating Gardaí. “Anyone with information is asked to contact Castleblayney Garda Station on 047 77200, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.”
Mrs Mackarel was well known in the Clones and Smithboro areas of Monaghan. One local told us: “It is such a tragedy, especially at this time of year.”
Her death came after two men died in separate crashes on Wednesday evening and Thursday morning.
Simon “Sammy” McInerney, 21, died when the car he was driving impacted with another car on the N21 at Templeglantine, west County Limerick, shortly before 1am on Thursday.
And Nathan Walsh, 24, died in a single-vehicle collision near Tipperary town on Wednesday night. He was from Bansha in Tipperary.
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