Clare schoolchildren escape fire as their bus went up in flames on M17
Bus up in flames on M7.Molly Cantwell, Joseph Murray and Eoin KelleherToday at 15:09Video footage has emerged showing yesterday’s bus fire on the M7, where a coach carrying Clare schoolchildren to a school tour caught fire, forcing them to evacuate.Students from St Joseph’s Community College in Kilkee were on their way to their school tour in Emerald Park on Thursday, April 30, when they were evacuated from their bus on the Tipperary-Laois border shortly after 8am.It is understood that the bus driver is being credited with guiding the students to safety after the fire took hold.Video footage from both inside and outside the bus shows flames engulfing the vehicle, starting at the rear and spreading throughout the bus.Emergency services attended the scene on the Dublin-bound carriageway of the M7, between junction 21, Borris-in-Ossory and junction 22, Roscrea, where it was confirmed that none of the passengers had sustained injuries.A still from a video inside the bus, showing the back of the school bus catching fire. “Gardaí and emergency services were alerted to a bus on fire near the M7, junction 21, Co Laois on Thursday, April 30, 2026, at approximately 8.15am,” a garda spokesperson told the Irish Independent.“The fire was safely extinguished. No injuries have been reported at this time.”
The Clare Echo has reported that alternative transport was arranged for the students who were brought safely to Emerald Park in County Meath to enjoy the rest of their day out.“We are delighted to report that all students, the bus driver and staff are safe, and nobody was injured,” Agnes Hehir, Principal of Kilkee Community College, told the Clare Echo.“We would like to thank all services involved for dealing with the incident promptly and organising alternative transport to continue the trip.”The bus was entirely destroyed, with the cause of the fire yet to be ascertained.The Irish Independent has contacted Kilkee Community College for further comment.
