Noreen McHugh has died following a two-vehicle collision on the N3 in County Cavan that also claimed the life of her husband, former Donegal Gaelic footballer James McHugh, according to reports by RTÉ and The Irish Times. She was in her 60s and passed away on Tuesday evening at Beaumont Hospital after being airlifted from the crash site.
Crash Details on the N3 in County Cavan
The collision occurred on Monday afternoon on the N3 at Drummallaght, located between Virginia and Cavan town, according to RTÉ. The incident involved a car driven by James McHugh and a van. James McHugh was fatally injured at the scene. Noreen McHugh, who was a passenger in the car, sustained serious injuries and received emergency medical treatment before being transported by air to Beaumont Hospital, where she died on Tuesday evening, as reported by The Irish Times. The driver of the van, a man in his 50s, sustained minor injuries and was taken to hospital for treatment, according to RTÉ.
Investigators have requested that anyone with dashcam or other camera footage from the area during that timeframe make it available to Bailieboro Garda station or the Garda Confidential Line, as noted by The Irish Times.
Sporting Legacy of James McHugh
James McHugh was a prominent figure in Gaelic football, best known as a key member of Donegal’s 1992 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship winning team, according to RTÉ. Playing from 1990 to 1998, he started at left half-forward in the 1992 final and scored a point from play as Donegal defeated Dublin 0-18 to 0-14, earning an All-Star award that same year, per RTÉ and The Irish Times records. His career included two Ulster championships in 1990 and 1992, alongside a Railway Cup victory with Ulster in 1994.
At the club level, he won county titles with Cill Chartha in 1985, 1989, and 1993, and secured four national Gaeltacht titles, according to RTÉ. Donegal GAA paid tribute to him following his death, stating that his legacy “goes far beyond honours and medals” and noting that he and his brother Martin both featured in the 1992 triumph, as reported by The Irish Times.