Tadhg Callaghan Carter: Tributes pour in for 15-year-old 'deeply valued and popular member of our school community'

The 15-year-old boy killed was named as Tadhg Callaghan Carter as two others were injured at location 15 on special stage 12 Gartan.

The event was cancelled after the horror collision.

Gardai say that shortly before 5pm, they and other emergency services were alerted after a number of onlookers were injured “in an incident involving a participating car” at Trentagh, near Kilmacrennan.

Tadhg was taken by ambulance from the scene to Letterkenny University Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

Two other spectators are receiving hospital treatment for non-life-threatening injuries.

It is understood the crash happened when a competing car left the road at a left-hand bend.

In a statement on Saturday, Motorsport Ireland and Donegal Motor Club said they cancelled the remainder of the event “as a mark of respect”.

They said they were “deeply saddened” by what had happened and expressed “deepest sympathies to the family of the deceased and ask that everyone respect their privacy at this time”.

Motorsport Ireland said that as the country’s governing body for four-wheeled motorsport, it, along with Gardai, has begun “a full investigation into the circumstances of the accident”.

It emerged that Tadgh had just completed his Junior Cert examinations at St Eunan's College in Letterkenny and was preparing to enter fifth year in September.

In a statement, the school expressed their "profound sadness" at the loss.

They said: "[Tadgh] 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.

"We extend our deepest, most heartfelt condolences to Tadhg's parents, brother, sisters, extended family and his wide circle of friends at this time of unimaginable grief. Our thoughts, prayers, and support are with them all.

"As a school community, we will come together to support one another, especially Tadhg's classmates and friends, over the difficult days and weeks ahead."

Pauric McGarvey, who is mayor of Letterkenny Milford Municipal District of Donegal County Council, said there was a "great sense of sadness and grief".

He described what had happened at the rally as "everybody's worst nightmare".

"There was a great buzz about the town here and the county for the Donegal International Rally and it just puts life into perspective and how tragic things can happen," he told Irish broadcaster RTÉ.

Motorsport Ireland and Donegal Motor Club said they "express their deepest sympathies to the family of the deceased" and asked that their privacy is respected.

Motorsport Ireland and An Garda Síochána have started an investigation into the circumstances of the incident.

It is the first fatality at the Donegal International Rally - one of the biggest motorsport events on the island of Ireland - since three-time winner Manus Kelly died in a crash in 2019.

In 2008, an 18-year-old spectator died when a car left the road and the rest of the rally was cancelled, and six years earlier two marshals died in an incident at the event.

The last spectator fatality at a Motorsport Ireland-sanctioned event was at the Cavan Stages in 2012, when two spectators died in an incident.