INQUEST HEARS HOW BOMB VICTIM BATTLED BRAVELY
Inquest hears how bomb victim battled bravely to live eight hours later she was to die in Belfast hospital
RELATIVES of Geraldine Breslin heard how the injured sales assistant had apparently been 'fighting very much to live' after suffering extensive injuries in the blast.
One of three employees from Watterson's drapery shop who were killed in the explosion, she died in the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast eight hours after being caught up in the tragedy.
Sean O'Hagan, an employee of SuperValu, told the coroner's court how the injured mother-of-one had called out for her husband, Mark, immediately after the bomb.
"I spoke to her and she told me her name was Geraldine Breslin and she was asking me where her husband, Mark was. She started to shout for him," he said.
In a statement, Kieran Mclvor described how he had been showered in debris following the blast. Later he and others had placed Mrs Breslin on a shop sign and helped get her into a car.
She was taken to Tyrone County Hospital where she underwent an operation before being transferred to the RVH in Belfast.
Dr James Steele, a Senior Registrar at the Royal told the court that the victim had arrived in Belfast around 9pm. Specialist staff again operated in an effort to save her life. However, she died from her injuries at 11.30pm.
"Every effort was made to retrieve the situation but unfortunately her injuries were too severe," Dr Steele added.
Mrs Breslin's brother-in-law, Liam gave evidence of identifying her body at the mortuary at the Tyrone and Fermanagh Hospital on the Monday afternoon.
In his report, Professor Jack Crane, State Pathologist attributed the cause of death to the combined effect of her injuries, the most serious being the damage caused to her liver. He believed she had been close to the seat of the explosion at the time of the blast.
Expressing sympathy to Mrs Breslin's family, Coroner John Leckey said her injuries had been regarded as life threatening from the outset.
"The impression I got was that this woman was fighting very much to live," he added.
RELATIVES of Geraldine Breslin heard how the injured sales assistant had apparently been 'fighting very much to live' after suffering extensive injuries in the blast.
One of three employees from Watterson's drapery shop who were killed in the explosion, she died in the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast eight hours after being caught up in the tragedy.
Sean O'Hagan, an employee of SuperValu, told the coroner's court how the injured mother-of-one had called out for her husband, Mark, immediately after the bomb.
"I spoke to her and she told me her name was Geraldine Breslin and she was asking me where her husband, Mark was. She started to shout for him," he said.
In a statement, Kieran Mclvor described how he had been showered in debris following the blast. Later he and others had placed Mrs Breslin on a shop sign and helped get her into a car.
She was taken to Tyrone County Hospital where she underwent an operation before being transferred to the RVH in Belfast.
Dr James Steele, a Senior Registrar at the Royal told the court that the victim had arrived in Belfast around 9pm. Specialist staff again operated in an effort to save her life. However, she died from her injuries at 11.30pm.
"Every effort was made to retrieve the situation but unfortunately her injuries were too severe," Dr Steele added.
Mrs Breslin's brother-in-law, Liam gave evidence of identifying her body at the mortuary at the Tyrone and Fermanagh Hospital on the Monday afternoon.
In his report, Professor Jack Crane, State Pathologist attributed the cause of death to the combined effect of her injuries, the most serious being the damage caused to her liver. He believed she had been close to the seat of the explosion at the time of the blast.
Expressing sympathy to Mrs Breslin's family, Coroner John Leckey said her injuries had been regarded as life threatening from the outset.
"The impression I got was that this woman was fighting very much to live," he added.
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/1486
Published Date: 28-Sep-00
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