Picture by Ciarán Culligan:
L-R: Sgt Diarmuid Maguire, Roads Policing Unit, Drogheda, Sgt Sinead Downey, Garda National Roads Policing Unit, Garda David Buckley, Roads Policing Unit, Dundalk, and Garda Kate Patterson, Dundalk Community Engagement at the ‘Just 1 Life’ Road Safety event at An Táin Theatre, Dundalk
More than 300 students from across Louth attended a major road safety awareness event in Dundalk this week.
Louth County Council, working alongside emergency and health services, hosted the Just 1 Life programme at An Táin Arts Centre on Tuesday, May 5.
The event was the first road safety programme of its scale to be held in County Louth and focused on highlighting the real life consequences of road traffic collisions and the importance of responsible road use.
Transition Year students from Ardee Community College, Coláiste Chú Chulainn, De La Salle College and Dundalk Grammar School attended the event and heard directly from frontline responders and healthcare professionals.
Members of Louth County Council Fire and Rescue Service, An Garda Síochána, the National Ambulance Service and HSE staff shared their experiences of attending serious road traffic accidents.
Students also heard from road traffic collision survivor Aisling Morris and her mother Doreen, who spoke about the lasting impact the incident has had on their lives.
Cllr Seán Kelly, Cathaoirleach of Louth County Council, said: “Despite improvements in infrastructure, enforcement and vehicle safety, lives continue to be lost on our roads, and families are left dealing with devastating and lifelong consequences.
“As a community, we are still mindful of recent tragedies in County Louth. In November last year, our county was deeply affected by the loss of five young lives in a single road traffic collision. That event shocked and saddened us all, and it stands as a stark reminder of how suddenly and how profoundly road tragedy can touch an entire community.
“Education plays a key role in prevention, and Just 1 Life shows the power of emergency services, healthcare professionals and people with lived experience coming together with one shared goal – to help prevent any more needless loss of life on our roads.”
David Conway, Chief Executive of Louth County Council, said: “I would like to thank the emergency services for not only delivering the Just 1 Life event, but for all the work they do in protecting lives on our roads.
“This event is not about frightening young people, it’s about education and helping them become more aware of their responsibilities as road users – whether they are drivers, passengers, pedestrians or cyclists, and equipping them with the practical skills and judgement they need to make safe choices every day on the roads.
“Life is precious, and by empowering students not only with knowledge, but also the confidence to act responsibly, we hope the lessons from Just 1 Life will stay with them, long after the event, helping to keep themselves and others safe on our roads.”
Adrian O’Sullivan, Road Safety Officer, Louth County Council, said: “Over the past decade, 71 people have lost their lives on roads in County Louth, and almost 40% of those were aged 29 or under. These are not just numbers; they represent lives that have been cut short and families that have been changed forever. Events like Just 1 Life are about making those statistics real for young people, helping them understand that road safety is a shared responsibility and that one decision can be the difference between getting home safely and tragedy.”
Eoin Murphy, Assistant Chief Fire Officer with Louth County Council Fire and Rescue Service, emphasised the core message of the programme, saying: “This programme is built around one simple message, and that is: one decision on the road can change a life forever. Just 1 Life exists to give young people real stories and real experiences, not to frighten them, but to protect them, and to show how every individual has the power to make safer choices.”
Garda David Buckley, An Garda Síochána, said: “From a policing perspective, we see every day how basic decisions around speed, seatbelts, mobile phone use, alcohol or drugs can have devastating consequences. Many of the serious and fatal collisions we attend are entirely preventable. Events like Just 1 Life are vital in helping young people understand that the choices they make on the road don’t just affect them, but everyone around them.”
Liam Stewart, Community Engagement Officer, National Ambulance Service, said: “When the National Ambulance Service is called to a serious road traffic collision, we arrive at moments of extreme trauma for those involved, their families, and the responders attending. Too often, we see young lives changed forever in the blink of an eye. By speaking directly to students, we hope to show how important it is to think ahead, make safe choices, and avoid decisions that can never be undone.”
Danielle Carolan, Candidate Advanced Nurse Practitioner, Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, said: “In the hospital setting, we see the long‑term reality of road traffic collisions, not just the initial injuries, but the lasting physical, emotional, and psychological impact on patients and their families. Many people don’t realise that recovery can take years, and that some injuries never fully heal. Education events like this are essential in helping young people understand the true consequences of road trauma and the importance of preventing it wherever possible.”
Fergal Fagan, Mortuary Manager, Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, said: “The mortuary is a very clinical and final place. As I explained to the students, if someone comes to us following a road traffic collision, it means the worst has already happened. Bodies come to mortuaries every day, but it is especially heartbreaking when they arrive as a result of collisions that did not need to happen. Many of these deaths are entirely preventable, and if young people understand the reality of the consequences, they may make a different choice on the road, which could save a life.”
The Just 1 Life event was the first in a series of planned road safety awareness programmes in County Louth. At the conclusion of the presentations, students were invited to submit feedback via a QR code, providing valuable insights that will help inform and shape the development of future initiatives aimed at reducing road deaths and serious injuries across the county.
