THIS WAS A WOMAN WHO WAS FIGHTING TO LIVE
This was a woman who was fighting to live - coroner
"It was quite remarkable that she did survive for as long as she did, and the medical witnesses put that down to the remarkable medical treatment she received in Omagh and in the Royal Victoria in Belfast"
MOTHER and wife, Mrs. Geraldine Breslin, was, a "woman who fought very much to live", the coroner said.
Expressing sympathy to the Breslin family, Mr. John Leckey said that he had been told that Mrs. Breslin's injuries had been life-threatening and survival from them was a remote possibility.
"It was quite remarkable that she did survive for as long as she did, and the medical witnesses put that down to the remarkable medical treatment she received in Omagh and in the Royal Victoria in Belfast.
"This was a woman who was fighting very much to live. That is the impression I get," he said.
Earlier in the hearing, Mr. Sean O'Hagan, who last saw Mrs. Breslin alive, said that he had been working in SuperValu, and staff had left the premises by the rear.
When the bomb exploded he went to Market Street where he saw a woman in the middle of the road, opposite McElroy's shoe shop, who told him her name, was Geraldine Breslin.
He said that he saw that she had been injured and she was bleeding, and he recalled how Mrs. Breslin was put into an estate car and taken to hospital.
He said he accompanied her to the hospital and she was taken to Ward 6, where he left her in the care of nurses.
Two other witnesses, who gave evidence earlier in the hearing, also recalled seeing Mrs. Breslin alive.
A statement from Mr, Kieran McIvor was read to the hearing.
In it he said he had seen a red-coloured car parked outside Kells', he heard a loud bang, and the next thing he remembered was being on his hands and knees, having been knocked over with the force of the explosion.
He said he saw Mrs. Breslin lying at the crossroads on a broken sign and he helped to lift her into a car for transportation to hospital.
Mr. James Alexander Steele, of the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast, who is now a consultant in the Accident and Emergency Department at Altnagelvin, said that Mrs. Breslin was among the people he treated on August 15, and he was with her when she died at 11.30pm.
He told the inquest that, despite intensive efforts at Omagh County and the Royal Victoria, there had been no positive outcome from the medical help Mrs. Breslin received.
He revealed that Mrs. Breslin had arrived at Belfast at around 9.30pm, and despite two hours of extensive medical treatment from quite a large number of staff, they could not save her life.
He revealed how Mrs. Breslin had been bleeding into her abdomen, which was an extremely serious condition, and she also had a large number of other injuries.
"She was extremely badly injured from the outset," he said, adding that medical staff experienced in four or five different specialties had battled to help her in vain.
Mrs. Breslin's body was escorted back to Omagh, and her remains were identified by her brother-in-law, Mr. William Joseph Breslin.
In his report the State Pathologist recorded that Mrs. Breslin's cause of death was multiple injuries due to a bomb explosion. She had suffered internal injuries as well as an injury to the head.
"The combined effects of the injuries were responsible for her death about eight hours after the explosion," he said.
"This woman was seriously injured. It is remarkable she did survive as long as she did, which was also partly due to the treatment she received in Omagh and Belfast," he added.
"It was quite remarkable that she did survive for as long as she did, and the medical witnesses put that down to the remarkable medical treatment she received in Omagh and in the Royal Victoria in Belfast"
MOTHER and wife, Mrs. Geraldine Breslin, was, a "woman who fought very much to live", the coroner said.
Expressing sympathy to the Breslin family, Mr. John Leckey said that he had been told that Mrs. Breslin's injuries had been life-threatening and survival from them was a remote possibility.
"It was quite remarkable that she did survive for as long as she did, and the medical witnesses put that down to the remarkable medical treatment she received in Omagh and in the Royal Victoria in Belfast.
"This was a woman who was fighting very much to live. That is the impression I get," he said.
Earlier in the hearing, Mr. Sean O'Hagan, who last saw Mrs. Breslin alive, said that he had been working in SuperValu, and staff had left the premises by the rear.
When the bomb exploded he went to Market Street where he saw a woman in the middle of the road, opposite McElroy's shoe shop, who told him her name, was Geraldine Breslin.
He said that he saw that she had been injured and she was bleeding, and he recalled how Mrs. Breslin was put into an estate car and taken to hospital.
He said he accompanied her to the hospital and she was taken to Ward 6, where he left her in the care of nurses.
Two other witnesses, who gave evidence earlier in the hearing, also recalled seeing Mrs. Breslin alive.
A statement from Mr, Kieran McIvor was read to the hearing.
In it he said he had seen a red-coloured car parked outside Kells', he heard a loud bang, and the next thing he remembered was being on his hands and knees, having been knocked over with the force of the explosion.
He said he saw Mrs. Breslin lying at the crossroads on a broken sign and he helped to lift her into a car for transportation to hospital.
Mr. James Alexander Steele, of the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast, who is now a consultant in the Accident and Emergency Department at Altnagelvin, said that Mrs. Breslin was among the people he treated on August 15, and he was with her when she died at 11.30pm.
He told the inquest that, despite intensive efforts at Omagh County and the Royal Victoria, there had been no positive outcome from the medical help Mrs. Breslin received.
He revealed that Mrs. Breslin had arrived at Belfast at around 9.30pm, and despite two hours of extensive medical treatment from quite a large number of staff, they could not save her life.
He revealed how Mrs. Breslin had been bleeding into her abdomen, which was an extremely serious condition, and she also had a large number of other injuries.
"She was extremely badly injured from the outset," he said, adding that medical staff experienced in four or five different specialties had battled to help her in vain.
Mrs. Breslin's body was escorted back to Omagh, and her remains were identified by her brother-in-law, Mr. William Joseph Breslin.
In his report the State Pathologist recorded that Mrs. Breslin's cause of death was multiple injuries due to a bomb explosion. She had suffered internal injuries as well as an injury to the head.
"The combined effects of the injuries were responsible for her death about eight hours after the explosion," he said.
"This woman was seriously injured. It is remarkable she did survive as long as she did, which was also partly due to the treatment she received in Omagh and Belfast," he added.
Further Information
Publisher: TYRONE CONSTITUTION
Ref: TC/1565
Published Date: 28-Sep-00
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