Man (22) jailed over drink-driving crash that killed two friends

David Raleigh

A 22-year-old man, who pleaded guilty to drunk-driving and dangerous driving causing the deaths of two of his college friends, was jailed for four years on Friday.

Patrick Carroll, Drinagh, Fivealley, Birr, Co Offaly, was 19 and drunk when he crashed a car into a wall off the N69, killing passengers Darragh Dullea, (21), Clonakilty, Co Cork, and Cillian Kirwan, (19), from Piltown, Co Kilkenny.

Carroll, along with a third passenger in the car, survived the collision. Carroll’s sentencing hearing, held at Limerick Circuit Criminal Court, heard that all four occupants of the car had been wearing seat belts.

Carroll told gardaí he was “truly sorry” for the men's deaths following the collision on February 20th, 2024.

Judge Simon McAleese extended his sympathies to the dead men's families and he said Carroll’s actions had caused “a blizzard of tragic consequences” for all involved in “an appalling and senseless tragedy”.

Judge McAleese also banned Carroll from driving for eight years.

The court heard Carroll and his three passengers had been friends and fellow students attending at the Salesian Agricultural College, Pallaskenry, Co Limerick, where they had been studying for a higher certificate in agricultural mechanisation.

Garda Inspector Padraig Sutton, Roads Policing Unit, Henry Street Garda Station, Limerick, told the court the four students had attended a college lecture in Limerick city earlier on the day.

After the lecture Carroll, carrying two of the three passengers, drove to De Bucket pub, and on their way back to Pallaskenry they met up with Cillian Kirwan who joined them at The Dromore Inn, Kildimo.

Shortly after 7pm, as the four friends left for home together in Carroll’s car, the car crossed to the other side of the road and crashed into a wall at Ballyengland near Askeaton.

Inspector Sutton said that Darragh Dullea and Cillian Kirwan died instantly in the collision. Carroll and the other passenger were rushed by ambulance to hospital where they were treated for non life-threatening injuries.

Prosecuting barrister Lily Buckley, instructed by Brendan Gill, State Solicitor for Co Limerick, told the court that a test for alcohol in Carroll’s blood showed he had been almost three times over the legal limit.

Two women, who came upon the collision, described seeing Carroll crying and asking his two dead friends to “wake up”.

At the scene Carroll told gardaí: “I made a terrible mistake that day and will live with the shame of this for the rest of my life.”

Cillian Kirwan’s devastated mother, Sinead Molloy, said her heart was broken since the death of her son.

In a victim impact statement, Molloy said she hoped her son had not suffered in his death.

"We cannot find the strength to forgive (Carroll)," Molloy told the court.

Darragh Dullea’s family described him as their pride and joy and said his death had left them heartbroken.

Carroll’s barrister, senior counsel Brian McInerney, instructed by Liam Carroll, said the defendant remains deeply remorseful.

McInerney said: "He accepts responsibility for his actions and the hurt that has been and will continue to be felt by the families of the deceased.”

McInerney argued that Carroll’s guilty pleas and full cooperation with the garda investigation were important mitigation factors.

In jailing Carroll for four years, Judge McAleese took into account his guilty plea, remorse, his immature age at the time, that he had no prior convictions, and a positive probation report.

The court heard Patrick Carroll had written letters to the dead men's families, should they choose to read them at some point in the future.