Woman (83) is mourned after Laois crash

THE funeral of an elderly woman who died in a road tragedy in Laois will be held this Tuesday.

Catherine ‘Kitty’ Boland (83) lost her life in the two-car crash on the M7 motorway at Borris-in-Ossory on Thursday afternoon.

A resident of Leugh, Thurles, Co Tipperary, Ms Boland was driving one of the cars that was involved in the collision at Junction 21 Borris-in-Ossory, on the M7 eastbound lane.

Gardaí and emergency services attended the incident at about 4.15pm but she was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver of the second car, a woman in her 50s, was rushed to Midlands Regional Hospital Tullamore with serious but non-life threatening injuries.

The eastbound lane was closed to traffic between the Borris-in-Ossory junction and Junction 18 Portlaoise, while emergency services dealt with the incident.

Garda forensic collision investigators attended the scene and carried out a technical examination before the route reopened.

Gardaí are appealing for witnesses to the collision to come forward, particularly those who may have dash-cam footage who were travelling in the area between 3.50pm and 4.20pm on Thursday.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Abbeyleix Garda Station on 057 8730580, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station.

Ms Boland’s funeral will be held at the Church of the Assumption, Thurles on Tuesday 3 December at 11am, followed by a service and cremation in Shannon Crematorium at 3pm.

Her death notice on rip.ie stated that she died tragically in her 84th year and is mourned by her sister Pauline, brothers Thomas, Pat and John, sister Eileen, sister-in-law Catherine, brothers-in-law Paddy and Danny, nephews Tommy and Michael, nieces, nephews, grand-nieces, grand-nephews, great grand-nieces, great grand-nephews, sisters-in-law Joan and Mary, neighbours and friends.