Students from a secondary school in County Clare experienced a significant disruption to their school trip when the coach they were travelling on caught fire while en route on the M7 motorway. The group, made up of pupils from St Joseph’s Community College in Kilkee, had been heading towards Emerald Park in County Meath for a planned school outing when the incident occurred shortly after 8am.
The fire is understood to have started at the rear section of the bus while it was travelling on the Dublin-bound side of the motorway, between the Roscrea and Borris-in-Ossory junctions. Despite the sudden and potentially dangerous situation, the bus driver acted quickly and is being praised for safely evacuating all of the students and staff from the vehicle before the fire spread further.
Emergency services, including firefighters and gardaí, were promptly dispatched to the scene to deal with the incident. Authorities confirmed that no injuries were reported among the passengers or the driver, and everyone on board was safely accounted for following the evacuation.
As firefighters worked to bring the blaze under control, traffic on both sides of the M7 was temporarily halted. The closure caused significant disruption, with diversions put in place to manage the flow of vehicles while emergency crews dealt with the situation. Once the fire was extinguished and the scene declared safe, the motorway was later reopened to traffic.
In the aftermath of the incident, arrangements were quickly made to ensure the school trip could continue. Another coach was sent to collect the stranded students, allowing them to resume their journey to Emerald Park. Despite the earlier scare and delay, the group was able to continue with their planned activities at the theme park later that day.
The principal of St Joseph’s Community College, Rita Hehir, expressed relief and gratitude following the incident. She confirmed that all students, staff members, and the driver were safe and unharmed. She also acknowledged the swift response of emergency services and the assistance provided in organising alternative transport so that the trip could go ahead.
She added that the school was very appreciative of the professionalism shown in handling the situation and ensuring the safety of everyone involved. According to her statement, the students eventually arrived at Emerald Park and were able to enjoy their school outing as originally intended, despite the earlier disruption caused by the fire.
