Early on Sunday morning, a well-known figure in Limerick rugby and Clare GAA circles, a father of one, lost his life when his minibus crashed into a bridge on the boundary between Limerick and Clare, reports Breaking News.
The man was a well-liked minibus contractor from Meelick, County Clare, and went by the local name of Darren Ryan (30).
Around 2.55 a.m. on Sunday, Mr. Ryan passed away when the minibus he was operating in Corbally collided with the Athlunkard Bridge.
The post-mortem examination of Mr. Ryan’s remains will take place at University Hospital Limerick, according to Gardaí, reports Breaking News.
The R463, which runs between Shannon Banks, Corbally, and St. Munchins College Secondary School, remained blocked on Sunday while the area was examined technically.
The bus was winched by a crane onto a recovery truck and tank and taken to a complex where Garda Forensic Collision Investigators could conduct additional examinations on Sunday afternoon. The bus had been laying on its side on one of the two traffic lanes on the bridge as gardaí investigated the debris.
Gardaí at Limerick City’s Henry Street Garda station made an appeal to witnesses or drivers who might have dash-cam footage to provide it to the investigating gardaí.
“Darren was the nicest fella. He would have been very involved in St Munchins College rugby team. His family are a very talented…they’ve all been high achievers, they’d be inspirational local people,” a family friend said, reports Breaking News.
“They are a very well known rugby family, a big ‘Young Munster’s’ family and very involved in the Meelick GAA club. Darren was very fit, a great athlete, he would have played sports all his life, particularly rugby where he played in the forwards. Their buses would be on the road the whole time, bringing people in and out of Limerick City,” the friend added, reports Breaking News.
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