Bomb victim saved the lives of two young girls, inquiry told

ONE of those killed in the Omagh bombing atrocity helped to save two young girls from being caught-up in the atrocity just minutes before she was evacuated to Market Street.

Geraldine Breslin was just 43 when she died at the Royal Victoria Hospital after being mortally wounded in the explosion on August 15, 1998.

She had worked at Watterson’s on High Street, after moving to there from Wellworths in the town 14 years previously.

Her son, Gareth McCrystal and niece, Jodi Beattie were in the Strule Arts Centre today to provide a commemoration of Mrs Breslin at the Omagh Bombing Inquiry.

Mr McCrystal issued a powerful condemnation of the Real IRA bombers.

“My mother was treated by the terrorists like she was rubbish, like total garbage. I had no desire to see my mother battered, bloodied and bruised from this,” he said.

Mr McCrystal also recounted how his mother had apologised for being involved in the attack as she lay on a stretcher in the Royal Victoria Hospital to where she had been airlifted early on the evening of August 15.

“She apologised to my father for being caught up in this incident. She apologised for even being there. God only knows what he thought of it. She just felt sorry. ” he told the Inquiry.

Mrs Breslin’s sister, Rosemary Cooney, who was unable to be in attendance but whose words were read by a niece, Jodie Beattie, told of how she had been approached by a man in the days after the atrocity about her sister’s final act of kindness.

She said that a man had come out of the crowd on High Street to tell her how Mrs Breslin had saved his two daughters.

“This man approached and hugged me. He was trembling so much, and he told me about how, as Watterson’s was being evacuated, Geraldine has seen his two daughters who were lost and helped them to find their mother.”

Mr McCrystal also spoke movingly of the moment he was told of his mother’s death.

He refused to believe what had happened initially, but realised that it was true when he saw the impact on his grandfather, a veteran of World War Two.

He said that he had struggled to cope with the enormity of the loss during his later teenage years and subsequently.

He said that he had taken to taking alcohol, but that life was now ‘wonderful’ and he only wished his mother was around to see his wife and children.