The injured man was rushed by ambulance from the scene, located about 16km from Limerick city, to University Hospital Limerick, where is was in a serious condition.

The incident happened in the early hours of Tuesday morning last in the centre of Ballyshannon.

Two men in their 20s, one in his 30s and one in his 40s sustained what are described as non-life threatening injuries.

The HSE said the most common type of injuries among bike users were to their heads, elbows or forearms.

The three prisoners were being transported from Mountjoy Prison to the Central Criminal Court when the prison transport waggon was struck by a food delivery truck

Mark Lahive, the High Court heard was subjected to a terrifying and vicious assault in the four-minute attack as he loaded up a work van in a Cork business park eight years ago.

The service dealt with 120 calls between 5pm and 7pm on Tuesday evening, which was the busiest period, he told RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland.