A fundraiser launched for three sisters left with catastrophic injuries after a wrong-way crash on the M9 in Ireland has raised more than €190,000 (£162,000) from over 7,000 donations as of Wednesday morning. The target is set at €350,000 (£300,000).
Crash Details and Victims
Niamh Kinsella, Alma Kinsella, and Ella Hendricken were in a car struck head-on by a BMW travelling the wrong way on the motorway in Co Kildare at speeds exceeding 75mph. The collision occurred near Moone shortly before 3am on Sunday. The five boys in the BMW—Jeremy O'Brien, 18, Alex McCarthy, 17, Joey Carthy, 15, Jack Kennedy, 17, and Kamil Pustkowski, 17—died in the crash.
Niamh and Alma, in their 30s, remain in critical condition at Tallaght Hospital. Ella, in her 20s, is in a serious condition at St Vincent's Hospital. A child in their car was also seriously injured. The family, from Graigecullen, Co Carlow, were en route to Dublin Airport for a wedding abroad.
Fundraiser and Community Response
The fundraiser, set up on Tuesday by Ella's friend Bryan Curley, aims to support the family. Curley wrote: “I’m setting up this fundraiser for my best friend Ella and her sisters, Niamh and Alma, who were recently involved in a serious road traffic accident. This has been an incredibly difficult and frightening time for Ella, Niamh, Alma and their family. They are facing a long and challenging road ahead, and right now, I ask that you keep them all in your thoughts & prayers. All funds going directly to the family.”
Locals described the family as “lovely” and “quiet.” Ella is understood to have worked as a social worker in Carlow, while Niamh is believed to be a PE teacher. Carlow Parish Priest Fr Thomas Little told the Irish Mirror: "The families of the ones that were hurt are hoping to God that they make a speedy recovery. The community is praying for them and we remembered them in our Masses since the car accident. Those that have lost loved ones are bereft and regret that it has ever happened... There’s no doubt a horrendous accident and the emergency services and the guards and hospitals have responded as best they can to the circumstances."
