Bomb victims' families hear distressing reports

Relatives of the victims of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings today heard the distressing medical reports of the wounds their 34 loved ones suffered in the devastating blasts.

Dublin City Coroner, Dr Brian Farrell, began reading the harrowing autopsy reports for the 11 people who died when the Ulster Volunteer Force bomb exploded on Dublin’s Parnell Street on May 17, 1974.

Dr Farrell told the hearing there was a good deal of distressing evidence in the medical reports.

“We will hear all of the autopsy reports as it is the wish of the families that all of the reports be placed on the public record,” he said.

The coroner then read how the other victims died from the bombs planted in parked cars on Talbot Street, Leinster Street and the blast in Monaghan.

Many of the family members didn’t attend today’s inquest, as a complete list of the wounds each victim suffered from the four-explosions was read out.

The autopsy report of Marie Butler, a victim of the Parnell Street bomb, was the first to be heard.

The coroner at the time Dr Patrick Fitzpatrick described many lacerations on the 21-year-old civil servant, including a large piece of shrapnel lodged in her lower ribs.

In the report, Dr Fitzpatrick stated, death in my opinion was due to multiple injuries.

The court heard how the Parnell Street blast claimed four members of the one family, including a toddler and a baby.

Anne O’Brien, a young 22-year-old mother, died at the scene from extensive multiple injuries, including the loss of both legs from the knee down.

Her two children, Jacqueline, aged 17 months, and Ann-Marie, 5-and-a-half-months, died with her.

Dr Farrell, attempting to comfort the family, said: “I would have thought death was instantaneous.”

The report showed Anne’s husband, John O’Brien, had died later in Richmond Hospital from shock and haemorrhaging, though surgeons had performed surgery to try and save his life.

Dr Farrell said: “In my opinion John would have been rendered unconscious by the injuries. I only hope he was unaware of what was happening and that he did not suffer.”

Christina Conway, identified all four on May 20, 1974, in the presence of Inspector M J Hanrahan in Store Street Garda Station.

Edward O’Neill, 39, who was walking out of a barber’s shop with his two young sons, was found to have died after his internal organs were ruptured by a metal object.

The pathologist’s report stated it was probably the boot lock of a car.

And the coroner’s report on 83-year-old pensioner John Dargle, stated he died from severe head injuries.

The report from Dr Fitzpatrick showed Mr Dargle suffered horrific injuries in the bomb.

During the opening day of the inquest on April 25, his grand-niece, Peggy Watchford, said a morgue official warned them that because of his injuries they would be better off if they did not see him.

Ms Watchford told the inquest: “My uncle fought in the First World War but he couldn’t survive an evening stroll.”

The inquest jury finished hearing the autopsy reports this evening.

Dr Farrell is expected to instruct the jury tomorrow on all the evidence they heard during the inquest.

The jury is expected to deliver an official finding on the cause of deaths over the next few days.