This article is from page 3 of the 2005-08-16 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 3 JPG
THE county’s roads have claimed their seventh victim this year, with the death of Maura Daffy (54), from Lis- munga, Ruan.
She lost her life after her car collided with a minibus close to Clarecastle on Saturday afternoon.
Ms Datfy’s black Hyundai Accent crashed into a Mercedes Benz minibus, which was driven by a 60-year-old man from Macroom in Cork, on the main N18, at Skehanagh, just after 4pm. She is the third person to die on that particu- lar stretch of road in as many years.
The woman was taken to the Mid Western Regional Hospital, Ennis, Where she died at 2.30am on Sunday morning. The driver of the bus was treated for minor injuries and was dis- charged from hospital some hours after
the accident.
Ms Daffy lived in Dublin for a number of years and worked, until recently, in the Sunday World newspaper. She visit- ed her family in Ruan regularly over the years and was travelling from a show- jumping event in Millstreet – where her niece was performing – to her home in Ruan, when the accident occurred.
Ruan parish priest Fr Pat O’ Neill said the deceased, who is survived by two brothers and two sisters, was a popular woman. “She was full of life and got on very well with all of her family. She had travelled the world,’ said Fr O’ Neill.
“She would always have one of her nieces in the car with her. Thankfully she didn’t have anybody with her on Saturday,” he added.
Two witnesses have been interviewed by gardai. Supt John Kerin is appealing for other witnesses to come forward
“We are happy the bus driver was travelling on his own side of the road, heading towards Limerick. There was a line of traffic behind Ms Daffy and we are appealing for those people to come forward with information,” said Supt aun
In September 2002, three-year-old Maggie Moore from Corbally near Limerick, died when the car in which she was travelling with her family, was struck by another vehicle.
Last November, John Cahill (68) from Coole Park in Gort, a former official driver to Fianna Fail TD Frank Fahy, died when his car was struck by a van driven by John Hogan from Ennis. Last month Hogan was convicted of danger- ous driving causing Mr Cahill’s death.
Both accidents occurred within 500 yards of Saturday’s collision.