34 years ago today
One of my brothers Jimmy had just finished work, and was getting ready to go home. He left the office and walked thru a garage to get his motor bike, saying hi to a young man working on the forecourt. The bike was in a shed, and while Jimmy was unlocking his bike he heard a 'thump' sound, nothing too loud. In fact he though it was a tyre that had burst.
Turning around, the first thing he saw was the young man - dead.
Three car bombs had just exploded in Dublin city center, and another one in Monaghan. In all 34 people were murdered that day, making it the worse loss of life in the 'Troubles'.
It took a long time before Jimmy didn't react badly to loud noises.
We reckon that it was the fact he was in the shed saved his life as that protected him from the blast wave - he was within 50 yards of one of the bombs. Had the bomb exploded a few seconds earlier or later he would have been another one of the victims.