Five young friends died in a road crash in Co Louth over the weekend, with three others taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
The group of friends are understood to have been going to socialise in Dundalk, when the Volkswagen Golf they were travelling in collided with a Toyota Landcruiser just after 9pm on Saturday in the townland of Gibstown.
Chloe McGee (23) from Carrickmaross, Co Monaghan
Ms McGee was a woodwork and construction teacher at Ó Fiaich Institute, Dundalk. School principal Pádraig McGovern said she was “full of fun and achievement and success”.
“She was very keen on her job, she was very much a part of the fabric of our school among students and staff,” he told RTÉ Radio’s Morning Ireland. “She loved to help her students and loved to go the extra mile, was very good at her subject and was also the sort of girl that was involved in everything, all sorts of staff activities, any sort of new projects, anything that we were looking at to develop, she was there and willing to take part.”
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Ms McGee worked at the school for three years and had recently been made permanent.
She was the eldest daughter, with a younger brother and sister.
Msgr Shane McCaughey said Ms McGee was from a farming family who were “salt of the earth”.
“She had no bother putting on the wellingtons one moment and putting on the glad rags the next,” he said.
Ms McGee was in a relationship with Mr McCluskey
Alan McCluskey (23) from Drumconrath, Co Meath
Mr McCluskey worked as a fencing contractor in the northeast and helped on his father’s farm. He had just returned from a holiday to Dubai with Ms McGee, to celebrate her permanent position.
In one of the pictures of their travels, Ms McGee described themselves as being “just two big kids loving life”.
Fr Finian Connaughton, the parish priest of Drumconrath, said he knew Mr McCluskey and his family very well.
“I would have known Alan from his very earliest days – given him his first communion, confirmation, and I know the family, a very regular attender at church, it would have to be said,” he told RTÉ Radio’s Morning Ireland.
“Alan and his family are very much involved here in the parish, so it was devastation to hear that news.”
[ Three in hospital after five young friends die in Co Louth crashOpens in new window ]
Shay Duffy (21) from Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan
Mr Duffy was an avid GAA player, and is survived by his parents Raymond and Carmel and brothers Vinnie and Ben.
Magheracloone Mitchell’s Gaelic football club said Mr Duffy was a former player and extended their condolences to his and the other victim’s families.
Dylan Commins (23) from Ardee, Co Louth
Mr Commins was a car and motocross enthusiast who worked as a mechanic in north Co Meath. He is understood to have been childhood friends with Mr McCluskey.
Chloe Hipson (21) from Lanarkshire, Scotland
Ms Hipson, who was living in Carrickmacross, had moved from Scotland to Ireland to study quantity surveying at Dundalk Institute of Technology, where she was in her second year. She had graduated from South Lanarkshire College in East Kilbride.
A number of amateur football teams in Lanarkshire have offered their condolences.
Scottish soccer club Bellshill Amateurs FC said her older brother Ryan had played in a match over the weekend. “Football takes a step back today for us as we were devastated to hear of the passing of Chloe Hipson, younger sister of our own Ryan Hipson, our thoughts are with all the Hipson family during this devastating time. Rest in peace Chloe,” the club said in a statement on Sunday.
“As a mark of respect to Chloe and the Hipson family we will hold a minute’s applause prior to kick off on Saturday morning.”
Amateur side Fir Park Corner FC said: “Everyone at Fir Park Corner would like to offer our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Chloe Hipson.
“Our thoughts are especially with Ryan Hipson, who played against us yesterday before receiving such devastating news. The whole football community stands with you.”
Friends also posted tributes on social media, with one describing her as “absolutely one of a kind, the funniest, most gorgeous girl in the land.”
On Ms Hipson’s LinkedIn profile, she said she had recently moved from Scotland to Ireland and had a keen focus on construction administration.
“My goal is to continue on in the construction industry and climb the ladder, driven by a commitment to improve,” her page said.
