A prayer service for all the victims was held in Drumconrath last night
Gardai will continue to investigate the scene of Saturday night's horrific crash in Gibstowns this morning as the bodies of Chloe McGee (23) and Shay Duffy (21) both from Carrickmacross, Alan McCluskey (23) from Drumconrath and Dylan Commins (23) Coole, Ardee and Chloe Hipson (21) from Lanarkshire, Scotland were removed from the scene yesterday evening.
Their bodies were taken to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital were post mortem examinations will be carried out over the coming days.
The two vehicles involved have also been taken from the scene.
Gardai say the L3168 will remain closed until at least noon today with local diversions in place.
They were all travelling in a Volkswagen Golf that was involved in a collision with a Toyota Landcruiser at Gibstown on the Ardee Road, Dundalk, shortly after 9pm Saturday night.
A sixth person from the VW Golf, a male passenger was seriously injured.
He was taken to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda, as were the occupants of the Landcruiser, a man and a woman .
All of their injuries are described as non-life threatening.
The tragedy represents the worst loss of life in a single collision on Irish roads for over 15 years.
Flowers placed at the scene of Saturday night's collision
A prayer service for all the victims was held in Drumconrath last night. A neighbour of one of the victims described the feeling in the village:
"The village is numb, completely numb, shocked. Just don't know what to say. So at mass this morning, it was like a, I don't know, there was silence and numbness and tears everywhere and everyone was crying and it was just, it's just numb. There's no words actually for how the village is feeling."
Parish priest Fr Finian Connaughton spoke following the service saying:
"A huge sense of loss right across, you could hear it there at our vigil tonight, not a sound in the church, the same this morning, before Mass, after Mass. People absolutely just not able to speak about it."
"Words are secondary today", he added.
Mgr Shane McCaughey PP, VG, the Parish Priest of Carrickmacross and Fr Michael Jordan the Parish Priest of Magheracloone also have given a statement.
"As Parish Priests of Carrickmacross and Magheracloone - the parish communities of two of victims of the tragic accident outside Dundalk last night - we express our heartfelt and prayer-filled sympathy to the families and many friends of Chloe McGee and Shay Duffy and also to the families and friends of Alan McCluskey, Dylan Cummins and Chloe Hipson, whose lives were tragically cut short as a result a road traffic accident outside Dundalk last night.
After visiting the families today and spending time with them, we share in the devastation that is being visited upon them and on these communities. We are very conscious too of the impact of this on the many friends of Chloe, Shay, Alan, Dylan and Chloe. They are all very much in our prayers at this awful moment.
Many families and communities are devasted. As we rely on the strength of God’s merciful love as we journey, let us draw from that to support each other.
We also express our respect, gratitude to and our prayers for the first responders who were confronted with this horrific accident.
Funeral arrangements will be announced in due course."
Gardaí are appealing to anyone who may have witnessed the crash or may have dash cam footage from the areas between 8.30pm and 9.15pm on Saturday night to contact them.
