Tragedy for family as mother of two killed at Delvin death trap

A mother of two children has died after her vehicle was involved in a collision at a notorious accident blackspot outside Delvin on Monday afternoon last, September 6.Ruth Houlihan (39), a native of Dublin who had been living at Ballyhealy, Delvin for a number of years, suffered fatal injuries after the jeep-type vehicle she was driving collided with an articulated truck on the N52 at Robinstown, between Delvin and Clonmellon, at 2pm on Monday afternoon.The only occupant of the vehicle, she was rushed to the Midland Regional Hospital at Mullingar, and was pronounced dead on arrival.The male driver and sole occupant of the articulated truck did not require hospital treatment.The Delvin-Clonmellon N52 was closed for examination on Monday by Garda Forensic Collision Investigators, with local diversions put in place for a short time.Ruth (née Cully), who worked with a local taxi firm, settled into community life in Delvin with ease after she moved to Westmeath from Dublin a number of years ago. She has been described as a devoted mother, and a loyal friend with a warm personality.A talented darts player, she was a very popular member of the ladies’ darts team, based at Carmel Gaffney’s pub in Delvin.Ruth is survived by her husband Declan, and her young daughters Ciara and Emma. At the time of going to press, no funeral details had been confirmed.Monday’s accident took place as the Met Office put in place severe weather warnings, with 24 hours of heavy rainfall making driving conditions treacherous for motorists.It occurred at a stretch of road between Delvin and Clonmellon, which is characterised by a series of notorious bends, and has been the site of numerous traffic accidents over the years.Local county councillor Frank McDermott told the Westmeath Examiner that this part of the Delvin-Clonmellon N52 has been “a thorn in the side over the past 25 years”, with councillors having made numerous representations to have something done about it.He said that as far as he could remember, it was the first fatality on this part of the N52. “But under no circumstances should we have had to wait until that point for something to be done about it,” he said.“It’s anything but a decent road, with two very notorious S-bends that are nothing short of dynamite.“It’s time for the NRA to take a very hard look and do something for the N52 to make it safe for motorists, not just between Delvin and Clonmellon, but also at Williamstown on the Mullingar side of Delvin.”