20 years on from the Kentstown Bus Tragedy that shocked a nation and rocked a community
Friday 23rd May 2025, 07:55 am
By Darren Donoghue
They say time is a great healer, but for some, certain wounds fail to heal.
Today, 23rd May 2025 marks the 20th anniversary of the Kentstown bus crash that happened on the Kentstown to Navan Road in Co. Meath, in which Five young girls lost their lives - they are Lisa Callan (15), Clare McCluskey (18), Aimee McCabe (15), Deirdre Scanlon (17) and Sinead Ledwidge (15).
That day, the five girls went to school, but never made it home.
As this reporter makes his way out to the crash site, it’s the first time in 20 years that I made a return to the scene of the tragedy that unfolded two decades ago. I have driven by the crash site many times and always blessing myself remembering the girls, but physically standing here brings up so many memories, emotions, thoughts and reflections.
The normally busy kentstown to Navan Road went quiet as I stood and paid my respects to the girls in a quite sombering few moments.
Even though two decades have passed, the memories and scars of that day remain for so many in the Beauparc/Kentstown Community and surrounding areas.
For this reporter, I was one of the lucky ones who survived the bus crash that awful day in May and will give a first-hand account of that tragic day in May and what changes were made after the crash.
I remember the day of the crash vividly. In those 20 years a lot has changed, especially for students. Back in 2005, I was 15 years old and in my second year of attending St. Patrick's Classical School in Navan. It was roughly 3.20pm when I heard from the open window that the heavens had opened. Monsoon like rain hit Navan for about 10 minutes and I was praying for the rain to stop so I would not get drenched on my walk down to get the school bus home.
At 3:50pm the school day finished as the school bell went off on the intercom. My prayers were answered. The Navan Monsoon had stopped, which gave way to beautiful sunshine. I made my way out the gates of St. Pats with my fellow classmates.
Those living in the Yellow Furze/Kentstown locality had two options to board the bus to bring them home. The bus home from Navan would serve students from the two all-girl schools (Loreto Secondary School and St. Josephs Mercy Secondary School), one mixed school (The Beaufort College) and an all-boys school (St. Patricks Classical School).
The first boarding point was the bus depot which is located on Railway Street in Navan, just around the corner from the Beaufort College and The Mercy. Normally, when boarding the bus at the bus depot there was plenty of seats to pick from. The second boarding point was at the Finger Post, a fork junction in which one road brought you to the Boyne Road and the other road would take you to the Kentstown Road, located right beside Loreto School. So, all the girls from Loreto would get on there, plus whoever missed the bus at the bus depot. The finger post collection was always manic and was a busy boarding spot.
That day I got on at the bus depot, but I could have easily got on at finger post but luckily that day I didn’t. As I jumped on the bus there was plenty of room. I sat halfway up the bus, but something made me move seat. I was now on the opposite side of the bus, my shoulder was more less touching the black section of the window frame.
The bus travelled through school time rush hour traffic in Navan. We eventually made it to the finger post, were the remainder of the students got on. Unknown to most, a common issue was that there wasn't enough seats for those getting on that the finger post. Those who couldn’t find a seat would have to stand for some duration during the bus ride home. Unfortunately, that tragic day in May, many students were standing on the aisle of the bus due to the bus being overcrowded.
From the fingerpost, the bus left Navan and headed towards Kentstown. As we went past the Joe Norris garage, we were on the straight road to Kentstown. Meath County Council were doing roadworks on that stretch of the Kentstown Road and they had a stop and go system in place. The bus came to a stand still and we were waiting at the temporary traffic lights with a couple of cars ahead of us.
As the lights turned green, the bus made its way around the corner. Then suddenly two cars collided with each other in front of the bus and the driver of the bus Mr. Hubble jammed on the breaks to avoid the crash. The bus skidded and we were heading straight for a green field before the front of the bus caught a bank of earth and done a complete 360, with the bus on its side facing the opposite direction towards Navan.
As I mentioned earlier, I was one of the lucky ones. The window frame saved my life as I was on the side of the bus that was on the ground.
Unaware, of the passing of the girls, many students made their way out of the bus through the broken front window and were helped by the heroic efforts of the bus driver Mr. John Hubble, Meath County Council workers, emergency workers and members of the public who stopped to help.
For many students travelling on the bus that day, it will be a day that they will never forget and will live long in their memories as five girls never made it home that tragic day in May.
You are at an age when you know what’s after happening, but it’s hard to accept or understand that five of your friends have passed away.
Following on from investigations into the bus crash, Bus Éireann, Meath County Council and Keltank Ltd were fined a total of €2.2m over the bus crash.
Judge McCarten said that it is an accident that should not have happened as it was entirely avoidable.
He said: 'Had the ABS been working none of this would have happened and Bus Éireann must take huge criticism for the absence of the ABS on the bus.'
The Judge also highlighted the fact that ABS is still not a legal requirement on vehicles in Ireland.
Since the accident significant measures have been taken to ensure the safety of children availing of transport services including the fitting of safety belts on all school buses and the abolition of the '3 for 2' accommodation ratio (schoolchildren used to be carried on the basis of three children to two adult seats).
But, reflecting on the 20 years since the crash, it is unlikely to happen again in the present day due to strict safety measures and regular inspections taking place across the country. Most definitely, standing on a moving bus would not be allowed to take place in today’s world.
My thoughts are with the family and friends of the Five girls and to everyone who has been affected by this dreadful tragedy 20 years ago.
Tonight, a remembrance mass will take in the Church of the Assumption Beauparc for Lisa Callan , Clare McCluskey , Aimee McCabe , Deirdre Scanlon and Sinead Ledwidge.
