The crash happened at a popular walking spot in Tuam, Co Galway, as Katie Gilmore and younger sister Grace were out for a walk with their father John along the hard shoulder of the N17.

The crash happened at about 1.45pm near the junction of the N17 and the Bobby Burke ring road on the outskirts of Tuam.

Two ambulances rushed to the scene and a Garda patrol car escorted them as they sped to University College Hospital in Galway City, about 30km away. However, despite efforts to save the girls, they were pronounced dead a short time later.

The driver of the car and Mr Gilmore were also brought to the hospital for treatment for non-life-threatening injuries.

The driver of the car was the sole occupant of the vehicle.

A section of the N17 was closed near the turnoff for Dunmore for an examination by Garda forensic experts.

Last night, the town of Tuam and the areas around where the extended family of the deceased girls are from, were trying to come to terms with the tragedy.

Fine Gael councillor Tom McHugh, who owns the Ard Rí Hotel, which is 150 metres away from the crash scene, said the community is devastated.

“A terrible, dark cloud is hanging over the community,” said Mr McHugh. “Everyone here is in a state of shock.

“My sympathy goes out to the girls’ parents and grandparents. I wish their father a speedy recovery. It is too traumatic and horrendous to even imagine what they are going through.”

Local priest Fr Michael Gleeson said the entire community is stunned by the tragedy. “We offer our deepest sympathies to the Newell and Gilmore families,” said Fr Gleeson.

“All we can do now is help them through their grief and offer prayers for them.”

The mother of the two girls, Michelle Gilmore, was said to be traumatised by the events. Katie and Grace were the young couple’s only children.

Meanwhile, a man in his early 30s died after his motorbike collided with a car near the ESB hydroelectric dam at Inniscarra, a few kilometres from Cork City yesterday afternoon.

The man, believed to be local to the area, was in collision with a car around 1.45pm yesterday at Curraleigh, near the village of Dripsey on the R618 Carrigrohane-Coachford road.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Gardaí said two people in the car were uninjured. They asked witnesses to contact Ballincollig gardaí on 021-4214680.