This Wednesday night, a road traffic collision in Donegal cruelly claimed the lives of a brother and sister, both in their early 70s.
The two-car incident on the N56 road near the border of Kilmacrennan village at 11:50 p.m. claimed the lives of PJ and Una McGettigan.
Both of them were originally from Gleneraugh, which is just off of Glen village on the Lough Salt Road. Mr. McGettigan resided in Fawns, Termon.
Shortly after the incident, the victims were declared dead at the spot, and their remains were brought to the mortuary at Letterkenny University Hospital.
The deceased’s bodies will undergo a post mortem investigation after being alerted by Dr. Denis McCauley, the coroner for Donegal.
Father of three, Mr. McGettigan was a retired psychiatric nurse who had also had a position as a physiotherapist.
In 1986, he held the positions of president and secretary for the County Donegal Boxing Board. He made history in 1987 when, at a Coalisland AGM, he and PJ Hallinan were chosen as the county’s first two elected members of the Ulster Boxing Council.
Mr. McGettigan operated a boxing club in Termon with the late Michael Bonner, and he afterwards became involved with the Carrigart Boxing Club.
According to Peter O’Donnell, the County Donegal Boxing Board’s current president, “he was a genuine gentleman.” “He was a fantastic boxer who did a great job coaching, officiating, judging, and administering the sport.”
Ms. McGettigan, a single resident of Gleneraugh, used to be employed at Fruit of the Loom in Milford as a seamstress.
They are the seventh and eighth person to pass away in 2024 on Donegal’s roads. Ten people lost their lives while travelling the county’s roadways in 2023.
Inspector Seamus McGonagle, the commander of the Donegal Garda Traffic Corps, told Donegal Live that the numbers are “alarmingly high.”
“Two people lost their life in this horrific accident. We are requesting that anybody who was nearby when the crash occurred get in contact with us.
Road users are urged by Inspector McGonagle to always err on the side of caution.
The other vehicle’s driver, a west Donegal lady in her 40s, was transferred to Letterkenny University Hospital to receive treatment for severe but non-life-threatening injuries.
To allow for a thorough investigation by Garda Forensic Collision Investigators, the road was closed overnight, and detours were in place while the site was reviewed.
The cars, a Dacia Duster and a Ford Focus, were removed from the scene early on Thursday morning.
Any witnesses to this collision are being urged to come forward by the Gardaí.
A spokesman stated: “We are asking any road users who were travelling in the area at the time and may have dash-cam footage to provide it to the investigating Gardaí.
