'Hugely talented' student journalist killed in Limerick hit-and-run

Student journalist Joe Drennan was killed in a hit-and-run incident in Limerick on Friday

David Raleigh

Sun Oct 15 2023 - 11:46

The pedestrian killed in a hit-and-run in Limerick over the weekend has been named as University of Limerick journalism student Joe Drennan.

Mr Drennan (21), of Mountrath, Co Laois, was standing at a bus stop on the Dublin Road in Castletroy on Friday night when a car that had been involved in a collision with another car earlier that night struck and killed him.

It is understood that Mr Drennan, who was shortlisted for Journalist of the Year at the annual national Student Media Awards, was waiting for a bus around 9.50pm, after he had finished a shift at a local restaurant.

Gardaí said the driver of one of the cars “failed to remain at the scene” and that the driver of the second car, a male in his 40s and a woman adult passenger, were taken to University Hospital Limerick for non life threatening injuries.

Paying tribute to Mr Drennan on Sunday, Dr Kathryn Hayes, Course Director of the BA Journalism and Digital Communication course at University of Limerick said: “We are absolutely devastated in the journalism department and in the wider UL community to learn of the tragic death of our student Joe Drennan. Our heartfelt sympathies are with Joe’s family at this terrible time and all of his classmates and many dear friends.”

[ Two more road deaths this weekend brings total for the year to 148 ]

Ms Hayes said Mr Drennan had been “an inspirational student and a hugely talented young journalist, who had a bright career ahead”.

“He was passionate and creative and will be sorely missed by all of us who had the pleasure of knowing and working with him,” Ms Hayes added.

Gardaí have appealed for witnesses to contact them and are understood to be investigating whether there are any possible links between the fatal collision and a burnt out vehicle discovered in Corbally, Friday night.

The car that struck Mr Drennan was allegedly involved in an interaction with a Garda unit before the collision on the night, and therefore, while Gardaí are continuing their own investigation, they have also referred the circumstances surrounding the fatal collision to the office of the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC).