The sole survivor of a crash in which eight people were killed has been charged with causing the deaths by dangerous driving.

Shaun Kelly (22) was arrested yesterday morning and appeared at Buncrana District Court in Donegal to be charged in relation to the deaths at Clonmany on July 11, 2010.

It was the single biggest loss of life in a road traffic collision in the Republic’s history.

Kelly was the driver of one of the vehicles, a black Volkswagen Passat, involved in the two-car crash.

Seven of those who died were in the Passat.

They were 21-year-old Mark McLaughlin from Fahan, Paul Doherty and Ciaran Sweeney (both 19) from Ballyliffin, Patrick McLaughlin (21) from Burnfoot, Eamonn McDaid (22), Damien McLaughlin (23), both from Buncrana, and James McEleney (23) from Clonmany.

Hugh Friel (66), from Urris, was also killed in the crash. He was on his way home from bingo when he was struck by the car.

Kelly, of Hill Road, Buncrana, was the sole survivor.

Judge Paul Kelly granted the defendant bail on his own bond of €500 and an independent surety of €5,000 from his mother, Pauline Kelly.

Kelly, who turns 23 today, is to appear again before Buncrana Court on December 8.

The crash happened when the Volkswagen Passat driven by Kelly hit an oncoming Renault Megane — severing the front wheel.

It then collided with the Toyota Corolla driven by Mr Friel, who died as a result of the smash.

Both cars then ended up on top of each other in a ditch.

At the time it was reported an oncoming car flashed its lights to warn the driver to slow down.

Following the tragic crash, counselling services had been set up in the area to offer support to the large numbers of bereaved young people whose friends lost their lives.

At the time, Garda assistant commissioner Kieran Kenny said he had never come across anything like the smash in his 34 years as a police officer.

Former Taoiseach Brian Cowen had described the tragic crash as “appalling” and sent his deepest sympathies to all the bereaved families who were affected.

On the anniversary of the accident earlier this year, Buncrana parish priest Fr John Walsh said those living in the area were very conscious of the crash one year on.

Fr Walsh added that it was an especially painful time for the parents of the young men who died.