Post-mortem examinations are to be carried out later on the bodies of five teenage boys killed when their car, which was being driven the wrong way down a motorway in County Kildare, crashed head-on into another car.
Three women, two aged in their 30s and one in her 20s, and a boy who were in the second car were taken to hospital with serious injuries.
The crash happened between junction 3 and junction 4 of the M9 motorway, at Moone, at about 03:00 local time on Sunday.
The vehicle the teenage boys were in was travelling southbound on the northbound carriageway when it hit the second car.
Gardaí (Irish police) have said no pursuit was taking place before the collision occurred.
The Republic of Ireland’s police ombudsman, Fiosrú is carrying out its own investigation into the crash.