Whitemountain Quarries Limited was fined €1.2m at Letterkenny Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to health and safety breaches related to a road accident that killed a father and two children from Londonderry. John Mullan, 49, his daughter Amelia, 6, and stepson Tomás, 14, died when their car entered Lough Foyle at Quigley’s Point, County Donegal, on 20 August 2020. Geraldine Mullan, John’s wife and mother of the children, survived.

The court heard the company, contracted to resurface a 1.3km stretch for Donegal County Council, had failed to properly manage traffic guidance through the roadworks. The new road surface was at least 5cm higher than the hard shoulder, there were no central markings or cones on part of the northbound carriageway, and the road had poor friction. A stop‑go system had been lifted and planned spot checks did not take place that evening. An engineer had asked a subcontractor to remove signage, with the understanding the company would put up its own cones and signs. The company acknowledged these failings led to the deaths and to Mrs Mullan’s injuries.

A national storm warning was in effect at the time. The forensic investigation found no fault with the car. The front passenger wheel had slipped onto the hard shoulder, the car skidded, and went over the embankment.

Judge Roderick Maguire said the company’s failures caused the deaths and that the case involved a family of four. The court also heard impact evidence from Mrs Mullan. She described the moments the car plunged into the water, hearing her family’s screams, her attempt to cling to the car, and waving for help to passing vehicles before a family eventually raised the alarm. She was taken in a wheelchair to view their bodies. She said the loss had left her with immeasurable grief and that she continues to suffer flashbacks.

Declan Carr, CEO of Breedon Ireland, the parent group, offered an apology, saying the company carries the responsibility. The court noted Whitemountain had no previous convictions, cooperated with the Health and Safety Authority investigation, and had intensified its focus on health and safety since the incident. The Mullan family had been spending the day in Londonderry and were returning home when the crash occurred.