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You are > Home > Mullaghmore bomb survivor visits scene
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Tuesday, August 31, 2004
Mullaghmore bomb survivor visits scene
ONE of the survivors of the explosion that killed Lord Mountbatten and three others in Mullaghmore 25 years ago visited the resort last week.
Timothy Knatchbull, whose twin brother Nicholas was killed in the blast, was in the area on a quiet visit.
The revelation came at a short ceremony in Mullaghmore on Friday last to mark the 25th anniversary of the killing of Lord Mountbatten, the 82-years-old Dowager Lady Brabourne, 14 years old Nicholas Knatchbull and 15-years-old Paul Maxwell, from Enniskillen.
Timothy Knatchbull and his parents, Lord and Lady Brabourne were seriously injured but survived.
On Friday, at 11.50am, the time of the explosion on Lord Mountbatten’s boat 25 years ago, a minute’s silence was observed at the gates of Classiebawn Castle.
Flowers and a newspaper cutting of the time were also laid by some of the 40 to 50 people who participated in the event.
At the event Paddy Joe Gallagher, a former member of the staff at Classiebawn, revealed that Timothy Knatchbull had been to visit him earlier in the week on the building site where he worked.
He said that Mr Knathbull, who was 14 at the time of the atrocity 25 years ago, had visited a number of members of the staff.
“He was glad that he had come back and had been able to talk to a few members of the staff.
“He didn’t know that this was happening today or he probably would have been here. However he had arranged to go back to Scotland today to attend his mother’s birthday.”
Mr Gallagher, who had worked a variety of jobs for over 20 years at Classiebawn, said that he was actually on a few days off when the tragedy occurred.
“I was working on hay about three miles away when I heard the explosion that day. It was only when I got home that I discovered that there had been a bomb.”
He said that it was an awful shock because he knew all the people involved.
Friday’s event was organised by residents in the village and former staff at Classiebawn.
Pat Barry, who had worked for Lord Mountbatten at the castle and at Broadlands, his home in England, said that he had always found him and his family very nice.
He said the family had been coming to Mullaghmore for over 30 years.
“Their holiday here was always a part of August for them. Lord Mountbatten always said he felt very relaxed and free in Mullaghmore.”
He said the resort had taken a long time to recover from what had happened.
Mr Barry felt that it was appropriate that they should now remember those who were killed.
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