Counties Affected
Updated 21 August 2026: this report was regenerated with corrected figures. An earlier version overstated the year-on-year change by comparing against our own incomplete record of the previous year rather than official Road Safety Authority statistics, and included some double-counted incidents. See our methodology.
Overview
Five people lost their lives on Irish roads between Wednesday 13 and Saturday 16 May 2026, across four separate incidents in Donegal, Dublin, and Tipperary. Three of those deaths occurred on a single day — Saturday 16 May — making it a particularly devastating day for road safety in Ireland. Our thoughts are with the families and friends of all those who died.
Incidents
Wednesday 13 May — Nenagh, Co. Tipperary (R495) A 20-year-old woman was fatally injured in a two-car collision on the Dromineer Road outside Nenagh at around 9pm. She was the first of five lives lost during this reporting period.
Saturday 16 May — Muff, Co. Donegal (Local Road) A man in his 20s died following a single-car crash at Ardmore, near Muff, in Co. Donegal. Gardaí are investigating the circumstances of the collision.
Saturday 16 May — Birchill, Co. Donegal (N15) Two men — Caoilan Bushe, aged 30, and Leon Shovlin, aged 27 — were killed in a two-vehicle collision on the N15 at Birchill on Saturday afternoon. The loss of two lives in a single crash is a sobering reminder of how quickly and completely a collision can devastate families and communities.
Saturday 16 May — Loughlinstown, Dublin (N11) A woman in her 20s died after being struck by a car on the N11 Bray Road in Loughlinstown at approximately 11:50pm. Her death highlights the ongoing and serious dangers faced by pedestrians on national roads, particularly late at night.
Year-to-Date Context
Based on our tally compiled from news reports, 65 people have died on Irish roads so far in 2026. At the same point last year, the Road Safety Authority recorded 66 fatalities. This represents an approximate 1–2% difference between the two figures.
It is important to note that these numbers are not directly comparable: our running total is drawn from published news reports and tends to run slightly ahead of the official RSA count, while last year’s figure is the final official RSA statistic for the same date. With that in mind, the difference is modest, and no firm conclusions should be drawn from it. What is beyond question is that the pace of loss remains deeply troubling — 65 lives in fewer than five months represents an ongoing crisis that demands continued attention from all road users.
Safety Advice and Awareness
Several of the incidents in this period involve patterns that are well recognised in road safety research:
- Young people as victims and drivers remain significantly over-represented in fatal collisions. Four of the five people killed this period were in their 20s. The RSA’s Slow Down and Like a Good Day to Drive? campaigns continue to urge younger drivers in particular to assess conditions and their own state before getting behind the wheel.
- Pedestrian safety on national roads is a persistent concern. The death of a pedestrian on the N11 late on a Saturday night is a reminder to those travelling on foot to use footpaths and crossing points wherever possible, wear visible clothing after dark, and never walk on a carriageway. Drivers are urged to remain alert, reduce speed in poor visibility, and anticipate the unexpected.
- Rural and regional roads featured in all four incidents. Roads like the N15, R495, and local roads in Donegal carry significant traffic but often lack the physical infrastructure — barriers, lighting, and hard shoulders — found on motorways. Extra care is warranted on all rural routes.
If you have been affected by a road death, Anam Cara (anamcara.ie) provides support to bereaved parents, and the RSA offers a range of bereavement resources at rsa.ie.
Looking Ahead
Every fatality recorded on this site represents a person who left home not expecting it to be the last time. Behind each of these five deaths are families, friends, and communities now carrying an irreplaceable loss.
Road deaths are not inevitable. The choices made every single time we travel — to slow down, to stay focused, to leave more time, to never drive impaired — directly affect the safety of everyone on the road. As we move further into the summer months, with longer evenings and increased traffic volumes, those choices become more important than ever.
Drive carefully. Look out for others. Come home.
Fatality data for 2026 is compiled by roaddeaths.ie from published news reports and may differ slightly from official RSA figures, which are published separately. Last year’s comparative figure is the official RSA statistic. Year-on-year comparisons should be treated as approximate.
Report card description: Five people died on Irish roads between 13 and 16 May 2026, including two men killed in a single collision in Co. Donegal, as the year-to-date toll reaches approximately 65 — broadly similar to the same point in 2025.