This article is from page 4 of the 2008-02-05 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 4 JPG
CLONLARA and Patrickswell in Limerick are today trying to come to terms with the deaths of two friends who shared a passion for sport.
William Quane from Monaska in Clonlara and Sean O’Donoghue of Patrickswell in Limerick were look- ing forward to supporting Ireland in the Ireland—Italy clash in Croke Park When their car was involved in an horrific head-on collision between Borris-in-Ossory and Roscrea on Saturday morning.
Niall Furlong, from the Canal Bank
in Limerick, who was also travel- ling to the Six Nations match was the only survivor in a crash which claimed the lives of four people. Last night he was in a Serious but stable condition at the Midlands Hospital in Tullamore.
Both Mr Quane (34) and Mr O’ Donoghue (37) died at the scene of the accident, described by Fr Jackie Robinson, who administered the last rites, as “the worst I have ever seen’’.
All three men who were travel- ling from Limerick were employees of Dell, who have opened a book of condolences at the plant in Raheen.
The Quane family had moved from Limerick to Clonlara about 30 years ago.
‘William was very much into sport and followed the rugby in particu- lar,’ said Fr Brendan Cleary, Clon- lara, who described the incident as a “terrible tragedy”.
William, who had followed the for- tunes of the national team at home and abroad, had driven to Birdhill on Saturday morning to be collected by his friends.
The accident also claimed the lives of Polish man David Dziemianowicz (21) and his Italian girlfriend Marika
Rossi (24) who were travelling in a rented car from Dublin when the ac- cident took place.
According to a Garda spokesman, the accident took place while one car was attempting an overtaking ma- noeuvre.
The head-on collision took place on what the spokesman described as a “very wide, straight part of the road” where the “hard shoulder was nearly as wide as the road itself”.
Gardai are appealing for any wit- nesses to the accident as they don’t expect Mr Furlong to regain con- sciousness for a number of days.