Tadhg Callaghan Carter had just completed his Junior Cert examinations and was preparing to enter Fifth Year this September. On Saturday, the 15-year-old was watching the Donegal International Rally when a car came off the road at a left-hand bend on special stage 12 Gartan and slammed into spectators.
Emergency services were alerted to “an incident involving a participating car” and took Tadhg by ambulance to Letterkenny University Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. Two other spectators were injured and are receiving hospital treatment for non-life-threatening injuries.
“Tadhg Callaghan Carter, 15, died after a rally car veered into spectators at the Donegal International Rally.”
The three-day event, which bills itself as “one of the toughest rally challenges there is for drivers and teams”, was cancelled for the remainder of the day. In a statement on Saturday, Motorsport Ireland and Donegal Motor Club said they were “deeply saddened” by the tragedy.
On Sunday, Tadhg’s school, Saint Euan’s College, posted a tribute online. “It is with profound sadness and a heavy heart that our school community learns of the sudden and tragic passing of our student, Tadhg Callaghan-Carter,” the school wrote. “He was a deeply valued and popular member of our school community, and his loss will be felt deeply by his classmates, friends, teachers, and everyone who knew him.” The school said it would open on Monday to support students, parents, staff and the local community from 11am.
Motorsport Ireland, the country’s governing body for four-wheeled motorsport, along with Gardaí, has begun “a full investigation into the circumstances of the accident”. Both organisations are aware that video footage of the incident is circulating on social media and have asked the public not to share it.
The rally attracts more than 70,000 spectators and almost 400,000 viewers on TV and online. Participants compete in 20 stages around the north-west coast of County Donegal.