NO WORDS CAN GIVE COMFORT AT THIS TIME...

Appeal for witnesses after car deaths of driver & three friends going to Leaving Cert party

- PAT FLANAGAN

THE town of Clonmel was plunged into grief after a horror crash killed three teens and their young driver on their way to celebrate their Leaving Cert results.

Grace McSweeney, Nicole Murphy and Zoey Coffey, all aged 18, were killed instantly when the car driven by Grace's brother Luke, 24, left the road and overturned.

All four were pronounced dead at the scene and no other vehicle was involved in the tragedy which took place at 7.30pm on Friday in the Co Tipperary town.

The trio of pals had just received the results of their Leaving Certificate exams hours earlier in the day and Luke volunteered to drive them to the party. The crash took place near the Loreto school where Nicole had been a student.

Superintendent Kieran Ruane praised the emergency services and garda for their efforts at what he described as a "very difficult" scene in heavy rain.