Family of M9 crash survivors thanks public as fundraiser nears €770,000

The family of three sisters and a young boy seriously injured in a head-on collision on the M9 motorway in County Kildare has expressed profound gratitude for the public's support, as an online fundraiser for their recovery has raised nearly €770,000. The crash, which occurred in the early hours of August 16, 2026, also claimed the lives of five teenagers in the other vehicle.

Sisters Ella Hendricken, Niamh Kinsella, and Alma Kinsella, along with Alma's seven-year-old son, were traveling to Dublin Airport for a family wedding when their Hyundai was struck head-on by a BMW traveling the wrong way down the motorway. All five occupants of the BMW-Joe Carthy, Jack Kennedy, Alex McCarthy, Jeremy O'Brien, and Kamil Pustkowski-were killed in the collision. The four occupants of the Hyundai sustained critical and serious injuries and remain hospitalized.

A GoFundMe campaign was established by a friend of one of the sisters to support the family during what has been described as a long and challenging recovery. In a statement posted to the fundraising page, a family member named Clare thanked donors and well-wishers. "The kindness and generosity shown to our family has been truly...