DONNA MARIE AND GARRY PREPARE FOR THEIR BIG DAY
DONNA MARIE AND GARRY PREPARE FOR THEIR BIG DAY
BY: JOHN McCUSKER
A HOSPITAL chaplain who imparted the last rites to bomb victim Donna Marie Keyes will this weekend bless her marriage to fiance Garry McGillion during a poignant ceremony in Omagh's Sacred Heart Church.
The happy couple, who were due to marry a week after last August's blast, will finally walk down the aisle on Saturday afternoon just a day after Donna Marie celebrates her 23rd birthday.
Over 180 guests have received special invites to the wedding which will take place at 12.30pm.
Both sets of families and close friends will be joined by health workers from Tyrone County Hospital and administrators from the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast for the happy occasion.
Also attending the marriage ceremony will be Garry's sister, Tracey Devine, who also suffered severe injuries in the bombing.
Local curate and family friend, Fr John Forbes will be chief celebrant. He will be assisted fay Newtownstewart parish priest, Fr Stephen Kearney, Fr Michael Keaveny PP and Fr Kevin Mullin.
Participating in the ceremony will be two Belfast hospital chaplains who played a crucial role in the couple's recovery process.
Fr Paul Byrne, who is attached to the 'Royal', and fellow curate, Fr Pat Sheehan from the nearby City Hospital, both forged a special relationship with Donna Marie and Garry as they recuperated from their horrific injuries.
It was Fr Sheehan who actually anointed the young bride-to-be as medical teams bravely battled to save her life in the crucial days following the explosion.
As the couple were making last minute wedding preparations this week, Donna Marie looked forward to finally getting the opportunity to wear her Cinderella-look wedding gown, which had been carefully laid aside and treasured for the past seven months.
"There will be a massive sense of joy that we have come this far, but it will also be tinged with sadness that I have got to leave home.
"It will also be marvellous that we will be together and able to celebrate this day with our families and friends.
"I am just glad that we have both come through it and we are able to walk down the aisle together" she added.
The couple were originally due to marry a week after the blast. At that point, Donna Marie remained in a coma after suffering 65 per cent third degree burns to her face, legs and upper body. Garry also suffered extensive third degree burns to 35 per cent of his body and was forced to wait weeks before he could speak to his bride-to-be.
While still in hospital, the couple began discussing the rearrangement of their wedding. But it was not until they were due to be discharged that a date was finally set.
Looking forward to their future together, Garry admits it is a day they thought they would never see.
"Owing to our injuries, it was six weeks after the bomb before we both got to speak to one another. At that time the surgeon considered the time was right, as Donna Marie had just come out of unconsciousness.
"But now there is no point dwelling on what has happened. We have to look towards the future.
"We are starting out on a new life and although we cannot put the past entirely behind us, much as we would want to, we have now reached a point when we have to move forward.
"We cannot let a thing like this destroy the rest of our lives" he added.
Two of the bridesmaids at Saturdays marriage ceremony fly across the Atlantic this week to accompany Donna Marie to the altar.
Her cousin, Grainne McQuaid returns from college in America, while another cousin, Siobhan McMackin travelled from Canada yesterday evening to join the wedding group. Another cousin, Eimear Keyes will also assist in the duties.
Garry's younger brother, Kieran will be bestman, while other brothers Brian and Cathal will act as groomsmen.
Young Aaron Devine, the groom's nephew, is the pageboy for the day, while cousin of the bride Sinead Morris will act as flowergirl.
Garry's niece and God child, Breda Devine , who was to be flowergirl at last August's wedding but died in the blast, will also be remembered during the poignant ceremony.
Admission to the church service will be strictly limited to those invited and both families have requested that the couple's reception remains private.
As the big day approaches, Donna Marie says she hopes conditions are favourable for photographs.
"But we are just happy to have come this far and we don't mind what the weather is like on the day" she added.
BY: JOHN McCUSKER
A HOSPITAL chaplain who imparted the last rites to bomb victim Donna Marie Keyes will this weekend bless her marriage to fiance Garry McGillion during a poignant ceremony in Omagh's Sacred Heart Church.
The happy couple, who were due to marry a week after last August's blast, will finally walk down the aisle on Saturday afternoon just a day after Donna Marie celebrates her 23rd birthday.
Over 180 guests have received special invites to the wedding which will take place at 12.30pm.
Both sets of families and close friends will be joined by health workers from Tyrone County Hospital and administrators from the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast for the happy occasion.
Also attending the marriage ceremony will be Garry's sister, Tracey Devine, who also suffered severe injuries in the bombing.
Local curate and family friend, Fr John Forbes will be chief celebrant. He will be assisted fay Newtownstewart parish priest, Fr Stephen Kearney, Fr Michael Keaveny PP and Fr Kevin Mullin.
Participating in the ceremony will be two Belfast hospital chaplains who played a crucial role in the couple's recovery process.
Fr Paul Byrne, who is attached to the 'Royal', and fellow curate, Fr Pat Sheehan from the nearby City Hospital, both forged a special relationship with Donna Marie and Garry as they recuperated from their horrific injuries.
It was Fr Sheehan who actually anointed the young bride-to-be as medical teams bravely battled to save her life in the crucial days following the explosion.
As the couple were making last minute wedding preparations this week, Donna Marie looked forward to finally getting the opportunity to wear her Cinderella-look wedding gown, which had been carefully laid aside and treasured for the past seven months.
"There will be a massive sense of joy that we have come this far, but it will also be tinged with sadness that I have got to leave home.
"It will also be marvellous that we will be together and able to celebrate this day with our families and friends.
"I am just glad that we have both come through it and we are able to walk down the aisle together" she added.
The couple were originally due to marry a week after the blast. At that point, Donna Marie remained in a coma after suffering 65 per cent third degree burns to her face, legs and upper body. Garry also suffered extensive third degree burns to 35 per cent of his body and was forced to wait weeks before he could speak to his bride-to-be.
While still in hospital, the couple began discussing the rearrangement of their wedding. But it was not until they were due to be discharged that a date was finally set.
Looking forward to their future together, Garry admits it is a day they thought they would never see.
"Owing to our injuries, it was six weeks after the bomb before we both got to speak to one another. At that time the surgeon considered the time was right, as Donna Marie had just come out of unconsciousness.
"But now there is no point dwelling on what has happened. We have to look towards the future.
"We are starting out on a new life and although we cannot put the past entirely behind us, much as we would want to, we have now reached a point when we have to move forward.
"We cannot let a thing like this destroy the rest of our lives" he added.
Two of the bridesmaids at Saturdays marriage ceremony fly across the Atlantic this week to accompany Donna Marie to the altar.
Her cousin, Grainne McQuaid returns from college in America, while another cousin, Siobhan McMackin travelled from Canada yesterday evening to join the wedding group. Another cousin, Eimear Keyes will also assist in the duties.
Garry's younger brother, Kieran will be bestman, while other brothers Brian and Cathal will act as groomsmen.
Young Aaron Devine, the groom's nephew, is the pageboy for the day, while cousin of the bride Sinead Morris will act as flowergirl.
Garry's niece and God child, Breda Devine , who was to be flowergirl at last August's wedding but died in the blast, will also be remembered during the poignant ceremony.
Admission to the church service will be strictly limited to those invited and both families have requested that the couple's reception remains private.
As the big day approaches, Donna Marie says she hopes conditions are favourable for photographs.
"But we are just happy to have come this far and we don't mind what the weather is like on the day" she added.
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/1234
Published Date: 25-Mar-99
Related Images
There have been no images archived for this article.