The devastating toll mirrors last year's Easter bank holiday road carnage, when eight people were also killed.

Last night, Road Safety Authority chairman Gay Byrne said that drivers need to start taking responsibility for their actions when they get behind the wheel.

Referring to figures in yesterday's Irish Independent, which show that upwards of 10,000 people have been caught talking or texting on their mobile phones while driving, he said it is taking too long for people to "get the message" about road safety.

"It has been 30 years since Jimmy Saville launched the 'clunk-click' campaign for seatbelts, but 30 years later we are still trying to encourage people to wear them," he said from his holiday home in Donegal.

He pointed out that almost 34,000 drivers have been caught not wearing their seatbelts since the penalty points scheme was introduced.

A further 3,000 children were found not to be strapped in.

While extending his sympathies to the families of those who lost loved ones over the weekend, Mr Byrne said: "It's quite extraordinary that so many people are refusing to get the message.

"A great deal of it is individual responsibility and undoubtedly people are still speeding. But we have to keep on trying to get the message across."

The death toll climbed to eight in the early hours of yesterday morning when the van a 47-year-old man was driving struck a tree.

Johnny Connors, of Clonroche, Co Wexford, was returning home from a party with his wife Margaret and two sons when the accident occurred on Spout Road in Wexford.

Emergency services arrived within minutes, but Mr Connors was pronounced dead at the scene. His wife and sons were taken to Wexford General Hospital with minor injuries and shock.

In Cavan, gardai are investigating a fatal road collision which occurred at Munnilly, Cootehill, shortly after 8pm on Sunday.

A 79-year-old male pedestrian was seriously injured after being struck by a car as he walked home from the local pub. He was taken to Cavan Hospital, where he later died.

He was named locally as Arthur (Doc) McCabe, the father of local Sinn Fein councillor Harry McCabe.

The driver of the car was questioned but later released without charge.

The two most recent deaths come after five people were killed in Donegal in less than 24 hours

Edith Gilbert (81), Bunclody, Co Wexford, was also killed in Clara, Co Offaly.

Last night gardai, road safety groups and TDs appealed to people to belt up, slow down, and stop drinking and driving.

Gardai were out in force over what was the first big holiday weekend of the year. They said the death toll was "depressing" and appealed for people to be more road-aware.

"Inappropriate speed is the single greatest contributory factor to road deaths and serious injuries, particularly among young male drivers," a spokesman said.

The first fatality of the weekend occurred at around 2am on Saturday when the tractor Tommy Conaghan (59) was driving home left the road and crashed outside Mountcharles, Co Donegal. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Just over an hour later, gardai at Muff were called to a serious crash on the outskirts of the town. Driver Anthony (Tony) Doherty (20) was pronounced dead at the scene, while Roisin Doherty (19) died later at Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry.

The Derry couple are survived by their 18-month-old daughter, Toni, who was not in the car at the time.

Less than 45 minutes later in Letterkenny, gardai launched a criminal investigation after an 18-year-old was killed in a hit-and-run incident.

Laura Hegarty, from Letterkenny, died immediately after she was struck by a vehicle on the Newline Road.

Around midday on St Patrick's Day, Martin McMullan (19), from Chapel Road in Dunfanaghy, Co Donegal, was killed when the car in which he was a passenger crashed into a wall.

The 19-year-old driver is still being treated in Letterkenny Hospital for serious injuries.

As a result of the death toll in Donegal, a three-year action plan to cut the carnage is being put together.

Eight people have already been killed in road collisions in Donegal this year - the same as during all of last year.

Last night the county's road safety officer, Eamonn Brown, said that the five weekend deaths in Donegal would "strengthen the resolve" of agencies working together to improve road safety.

A total of 68 people have been killed on Irish roads to date this year.