A local priest was left "speechless" and "helpless" after witnessing the scene of a horror crash in Co Limerick.
Three elderly women, all in their 70s, died after the two vehicle collision on Thursday evening.
Another woman, in her 70s, was seriously injured in the collision on the N69 at Loughill.
Fr Tom Crawford, Parish Priest of Glin, arrived to the "unreal scene" after the devastating news broke.
He said: "You come across something like this, rarely enough for me I must say, but when you do, you're speechless, you're helpless, you're looking for something that you can do.
"I couldn't sleep for a good while anyway. I'm not for the better of it this morning, because it does shock you.
"You wake up thinking life will go on like it did yesterday but life is so fragile you never know from moment to moment."
It's believed that the lone driver of one of the cars suffered a suspected heart attack and veered across the road before hitting a second car. She died in the crash.
The driver and front seat passenger of the second car were also killed.
The back seat passenger of that car, also in her 70s, was airlifted to University Hospital Limerick after suffering two broken legs.
Fr Crawford told Morning Ireland on RTE Radio One that the crash happened on a straight stretch of the road.
He said: "(The crash occurred) a straight stretch of road with a lay-by at the side.
"It wasn't as if there was a dangerous part of the road.
"And the two cars involved, when I heard they were from the local area I presumed it was in a traffic restricted area.
"I just don't know. It was a human error or a car error or something like that."
He added: "And all you can do is stand by and let the people who know what to do like the emergency services. They were very busy trying to rescue the one that was alive.
"All we can do in those kind of scenes is to pray over them as well as I could."
One source told the Irish Mirror: "One of the women suffered a suspected heart attack before veering across the road a colliding with the vehicle carrying the other three women.
"She died, as did two of the women in the front of the other car.
"A third women sitting in the back seat suffered two broke legs and was airlifted to hospital. There were no skid marks at the scene."
The road was closed over Thursday night to facilitate a forensic examination.
AA Roadwatch has confirmed that the stretch of the N69 has reopened on Friday morning.
Gardai in Newcastle West investigating the crash are appealing for anyone with information to come forward.
Officers have appeal to anyone who may have dash cam footage to contact Newcastle West Garda Station on 069-20650, the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station.
