The Co Donegal woman killed in a road crash along with her two daughters in Co Mayo yesterday has been named as Una Carlin-Bowden.
Ms Carlin-Bowden was originally from Raphoe but had been living in Galway with her husband and children for a number of years.
She attended Raphoe Royal and Prior Secondary School and her extended family still live in the area.
Una died along with her daughters Ciara, aged 14, and Saoirse aged 9, when the car they were travelling in collided with a truck on the N17 near Claremorris.
They were living in the Maigh Cuilinn area of Co Galway and are believed to have been travelling home from visiting relatives in Co Donegal when the crash occurred.
Efforts to contact David Bowden, the father and husband of the deceased were complicated by the fact that he is abroad for work at present.
However, gardaí confirmed that they had been in touch with Mr Bowden and that arrangements are being made for him to return to Ireland.
The Bowden family were a hugely popular and sporting family and very involved in the local community in Moycullen.
The local basketball club Cumann Cispheile Mhaigh Cuilinn paid tribute to the family following their devatsting deaths.
A Facebook tribiute read “It is with enormous sadness that Cumann Cispheile Mhaigh Cuilinn has learned of the tragic deaths of our neighbours and clubmates Una, Ciara, and Saoirse Bowden. The Bowdens were active in many sports throughout our community.
“Ciara had been selected for the Galway Area girls under-14 basketball team. The thoughts and prayers of everyone in Cumann Cispheile Mhaigh Cuilinn are with the family, friends, and teammates of the Bowden family.
“We cannot possibly fathom their grief but we send them our love and support. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a h’anam dílis.”
The fatal incident happened shortly before 2pm yesterday at Castlegar, a short distance from Claremorris.
The driver of the lorry was not injured.
The deaths of the woman and two children bring to 54 the number of people who have died on Irish roads since the beginning of the year.
