Second Kildare town road fatality in 35 days
A stock photo of the R445 Kildare-Monasterevin road.
A man in his 40s has died after he was struck by a car at around 6pm on Tuesday evening (30 December) on the R445 Monasterevin Road outside Kildare town.
The pedestrian – the 190th road fatality in the State for 2025 - was pronounced dead at the scene, and no other injuries were reported.
It is not yet known if gardaí are treating this as a hit and run, or if the motorist involved remained at the scene.
The road between Monasterevin and Kildare town was closed for a technical examination by Forensic Collision Investigators, but re-opened on Wednesday morning as local traffic was re-reouted not the M7 for at least one junction.
Gardaí are appealing for any witnesses, particularly any road users who were travelling in the area between 5pm and 6.30pm and who may have camera footage, including dash-cam, to contact Kildare Garda Station on 045-527730, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any garda station.
It is only 35 days since the last fatality in the town, following the death of Frank Gammell on the eastern side of the town on 26 November.
Road fatalities in the State have increased in 2025, up from 175 in 2024, however, by historical comparison the death toll on Irish roads in 1972 was 640.
In context, in 2025 there are nearly 2.4m vehicles registered in the Irish Republic, and while such figures are not available for 1972, in that year only 62,600 cars were registered in the State.
