Gardaí investigating the death of 16-year-old Bryan Lowe in Co. Clare believe he may have been deliberately killed rather than the victim of an accidental hit-and-run, after evidence emerged that he was dragged a "significant" distance under the vehicle that struck him. Detectives are examining whether the incident followed a dispute between youths, with one line of enquiry suggesting the culprits tried to steal the electric scrambler Bryan was riding and rammed him when he refused to hand it over. The case is one of three child deaths on Irish roads within a 24-hour period, prompting widespread shock and tributes across the country.

Bryan was found dead beside the L3050 road at Cottage Cross, near Cloonlara village, shortly after 11pm on Friday, with the vehicle involved fleeing the scene; a postmortem was due to be carried out by the State Pathologist. Gardaí are also probing possible links to local drug dealing and a separate reported incident involving balaclava-clad teenagers earlier that evening, though a source cautioned that "a lot of red herrings are in the mix." Separately, 12-year-old Eoin Doyle died after the car he was travelling in with his father was hit by a train at a level crossing near Ballyhaunis, Co. Mayo, one of two collisions between trains and vehicles on the Dublin-Westport line that day; Irish Rail said it does not believe a signalling fault was to blame, and CCTV footage is being examined as part of the investigation.