LAST UPDATE | 14 Dec 2023

TWELVE PEOPLE, including eight Transition year students, were hospitalised today after a collision between a school bus and a lorry in Co Kilkenny this morning.

The incident happened on the N77 at Ardloo shortly after 10.20am. The driver of the lorry, a man in his 40s, was airlifted to Tallaght University Hospital with serious injuries.

The bus driver, a man in is 50s, was taken to Midland Regional Hospital, Tullamore for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.

Eight students and two adult passengers on the bus were taken from the scene by ambulance to St Lukes General Hospital, Kilkenny for treatment and assessment. All but one student and one teacher have since been discharged.

Cólaiste Phobal Roscrea and Tipperary Education and Training Board released a statement this evening offering “thoughts and well wishes to those injured in this morning’s road crash in Kilkenny”.

“A group of our Transition Year students at Coláiste Phobal Roscrea were travelling to Kilkenny when the collision took place between the bus they were travelling in and a truck,” the statement said.

“Eight students, two teachers and the drivers of both vehicles were hospitalised after the collision. The students and teachers involved have received treatment for non-life threatening injuries at St Luke’s Hospital in Kilkenny, with one student and one teacher still in hospital at this time.

“We would like to extend our best wishes to them, as well as the drivers of both vehicles, who are still receiving hospital treatment for their injuries.

Garda Forensic Collision Investigators were called upon to examine the scene.

Gardaí in Kilkenny are appealing for any witnesses to this collision to come forward. Road users who may have camera footage (including dash-cam) from the N77 in the vicinity of Ardloo at the time of the collision are asked to make it available to investigating gardaí.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Kilkenny Garda Station on 056 7775000, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any garda station.