HALTING Donegal’s heartbreaking road death tally is the top target of the county’s senior Garda figures this bank holiday weekend.
They assured the Donegal News that a highly visible presence of traffic gardai and top-level checkpoints will warn drivers after the recent loss of three lives.
Seven road victims have been killed this year already in the county – and gardai will do everything they can over the coming days to prevent more tragedies.
The area’s new Superintendent Siobhán Mollohan, who is based at Letterkenny Garda Station, delivered a stark message to all motorists.
She said: “We are concerned about fatalities and collisions. It is very fresh in Donegal where we have lost seven lives this year.
“We are appealing to drivers, especially younger men, to slow down.
“Do not take risks, do not take driving for granted, every journey is important, and do not use mobile phones or other distractions.
“We are reviewing and analysing road safety for the causes of collisions and we are doubling down to prevent more fatalities.”
Garda Supt Siobhan Mollohan at Letterkenny Garda Station.
Supt Mollohan added: “There have been seven deaths in Donegal. We do not want to add to that.
“One is too many and we do not want any more. Of course we do not want any more.”
Garda Supt Mollohan is in charge of the Donegal North Community Engagement Functional Area of the Donegal Garda Division.
Her appointment in January of this year followed the promotion of Goretti Sheridan from Garda Superintendent to Chief Superintendent.
She and the county’s gardai will this weekend oversee a high profile enforcement campaign from midnight last night through to midnight on Tuesday for the June Bank Holiday weekend road safety campaign.
Gardai in safety campaign at Donegal border.
Supt Mollohan told the Donegal News: “The main aim is to reduce the number of people who are killed on our roads.
“There will be a large number of checkpoints over the weekend and we will be paying particular attention during high-risk times of the day.
“In particular, our focus will be on Thursday [today] from 3pm to 6pm and Friday [tomorrow] from 3pm to 6pm and on Saturday from 12pm to 3pm and 6pm to 9pm.
“These are the high-risk times when statistics show spikes in the number of collisions.
“They can happen at any time, but these specific periods will receive determined focus.
“Anyone who takes drink or drugs or is tired after long periods of socialising is warned about these high-risk periods.
“Gardai will be on patrol in marked and unmarked cars and we do have access to private vehicles’ insurance data.
“Our members will be out and will be visible and there will be clear enforcement and we will be working with our partners like the Road Safety Authority.”
Gardaí have issued an appeal for drivers to slow down.
In the run-up up to bank holiday weekend, gardai clamped down on suspected dangerous driving and made 10 arrests for alleged drink and drug-driving offences.
Garda figures showed that eight were alcohol-related and two were for drugs.
A Donegal Garda spokesperson advised: “We urge drivers never to drive while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.”
Anyone going out should organise a lift home in advance or get a taxi – but never accept a lift from anyone who may have consumed drink or drugs.
The Garda spokesperson added: “As we approach the June Bank Holiday weekend, we wish to make our usual appeal to all road users to please behave responsibly.
“We advise all drivers to slow down, to wear a seatbelt, to ensure that their passengers are also wearing theirs and to keep their phone out of their reach while driving. Keep your full attention on the road at all times.”
The Road Safety Authority, which is a partner agency with An Garda Siochana in their joint bid to prevent more horror road smashes, this week identified Donegal as one of the worst hit counties in Ireland for fatalities.
The State agency’s statistics showed that Donegal has a disproportionate number of road deaths compared to its population size.
Some 69 collisions in the county between 2016 and 2024 resulted in at least one death, while there were 451 non-fatal collisions.
The data was provided by An Garda Siochana to the Road Safety Authority (RSA) for a new interactive map that highlights road fatalities across Ireland.
Every collision’s location, date and times is logged up until 2024 when Donegal was one of four counties with the highest number of fatalities.
RSA spokesperson David Martin said: “Donegal experience disproportionately high numbers of fatalities.”
Latest Garda figures for this year show there have been 66 deaths on Irish roads – which is five more compared to the same period in 2025.
Those 66 deaths include seven people who were killed on Donegal’s roads this year, including a heartbreaking dark period recently when three young lives were lost in two separate crashes in the county over May 16 and 17.
They were Leon Shovlin (27), Caoilan Bushe (30), and Ashlea Harkin (25).
In the event of an emergency, always call 999 or 112.
Gardai can be reached in Letterkenny on 0749167100, Milford on 0749153060, Buncrana on 0749320540, and in Ballyshannon on 0719858530.