Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
THE HUSBAND OF a woman shot dead by a terrorist while on holiday in Tunisia found her dead beneath her beach towel.
Declan Carty went looking for his wife after a gunman went on a killing spree that claimed 38 lives. Three Irish people were killed in the attack, Carty’s wife Lorna (54) and Laurence (56) and Martina Hayes (55) from Athlone, Co Westmeath.
“I went to the beach, I lifted a towel. It was Lorna… She was lying with her head to one side as if she was lying in the sun,” Carty said.
Dublin Coroner’s Court heard harrowing evidence from tourists staying at the Imperial Marhaba Hotel at Port El Kantaoui in Sousse, Tunisia where the attack took place shortly after noon on 26 June 2015.
Carty and his wife had moved there from another hotel due to construction work.
“There was banging and clattering. Lorna explained that I’d had a heart attack and I was on holiday to rest,” he said.
The couple, from Balbradagh, Robinstown, Co Meath were “delighted” with the new hotel.
The holiday had been paid for my Carty’s brother.
“It was a fine hotel, quiet. We were enjoying our holiday. We met another Irish couple, the Hayes,” he said.
On the morning of the attack, Carty was in the hotel room and his wife was at the beach. The couple’s bags were packed, they were due to leave that day.
I woke up to what I first thought was fireworks. It sounded like a machine gun. I looked out but everything looked normal, there was a jet-ski and a paraglider moving in the water.
People running
When Carty saw people running and screaming along the beach, he tried to phone his wife but got no answer.
He ran to the lift where he met a staff-member ‘in a panic.’
“She turned white. She was pointing at the key in my hand, she’d no English. There were other guests there and we ran to my room and stayed there for the duration.
There was glass crashing, I could hear a bullet ricocheting. There was shooting and it went on for a while.
“I thought we were going to die on the day. I just didn’t know what was going to happen,” Carty said. After the attack, he went looking for his wife.
“She was a nurse, so I knew if Lorna was able to move at all she’d be looking for me. I knew there was something wrong. I headed for the beach,” he said.
Before he found his wife, he lifted a beach towel placed over a body and recognised the face of Martina Hayes.
Giving evidence, Sinead Hayes (33), the only child of Martina and Laurence Hayes, from Westlodge, Athlone, Co Westmeath said the couple went on holiday to mark their wedding anniversary.
“They were due to fly back into Dublin at midnight on 26 June, a Friday. Unfortunately they never got to fly back,” she said.
Disguised rifle
Gunman Seifeddine Rezgui had disguised his Kalashnikov rifle under a parasol as he walked 700m from a parked van onto the beach where he opened fire.
The three Irish were among the first of his 38 victims. The inquest heard the Islamic State gunman specifically targeted tourists during the 30 minute attack before he was gunned down by Tunisian authorities.
Witness Raymond Hegarty and his family ran from the pool area as the gunman approached behind them.
“I remember hearing the whizz of bullets and the thud of them hitting something,” he said. The family barricaded themselves into their hotel room and stayed quiet.
Rachel Godber and her husband were due to check out on 26 June. She hid her children in the step well of a desk in an office near the hotel lobby.
“There was panic in the room. It was crowded. I could hear gunfire and explosions. At one stage there was banging on the door,” she said.
The jury returned a verdicts of unlawful killing for all three deaths and recommended that a link to a Department of Foreign Affairs smartphone App alerting tourists to risks associated with travel abroad be permanently displayed on all travel websites and form an integral part of all travel bookings from now on.
In a statement after the inquest, the Carty and Hayes families said no words could express their pain.
“We are all still devastated by the tremendous loss we have endured. We hope that no family ever has to ensure the pain and tragic loss we have suffered,” they said.
We thank all of those who have been here for us over the last 32 months and who have provided support and comfort to us, they have brought us some solace during this difficult time.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Horrifying thing to have to go through.
Dreadful place. Dreadful attitudes towards foreigners. One place i would highly recommend people NOT to go.
@Deirdre D’Arcy Murphy: I was there 5 years ago. Wonderful welcoming, friendly people, great food, markets and beaches.
@Ciara Ni Mhurchu: Good for you. Horrendous in my opinion.
@Ciara Ni Mhurchu: screw them and their tourist industry.
@Deirdre D’Arcy Murphy: I agree. Easily the worst place I ever went to for holidays
@Gerard McConnell: I won’t tell u what the 16 yr old bell boy in an exclusive hotel attempted to do ! Shockin. Port El Kantaoui. – disgraceful.
@Daniel O’Neill: and all it would take would be one similar attack at the cliffs of moher – wiping out american tourists and then they would say the same about us. and F**k our tourist industry….
You know what though?
we wouldnt be responding near as quickly as the Tunisian forces did… 30 minutes to end a roving terrorist attack, thats not bad from a so called 3rd world country.
it would be a few hours before it was taken care of minimum. Our army doesnt have the resources, people or equipment to respond in any kind of hasty fashion.
Sadly this type of attack can happen anywhere as we have seen and no amount of links to websites can cover all the risks particularly if booking separates rather then a package holiday.
I am reminded of all the people that lost their lives while abroad for whatever reason, and no amount of talking can change the past, but we should all learn for the future and minimise the risks….
The UK government also provide travel advice, which is more detailed then that of the Irish government, some travel magazines and on line resources can also help as does the experience of other travellers, all good resources when travelling outside of areas already known to us
These terrorists really do hate our freedom. I thought GW was a moron but it’s actually true.
@Toomasu Sumitsu: What freedom?
So tragic. Remember this well in 2015. RIP to all the victims and sincere condolences to all their families and friends. I was on a family holiday there as a 14 year old and while walking down Port El Kantoui with my parents got spat on and lurked on by horrible individuals to the point that my parents had to walk either side of me clutching me either side. A lot of Tunisians do not like tourists, especially females, most of the food is vile and the culture over there is extremely disrespectful towards women. This terrorist attack has obviously impacted the tourist industry there and so it should. I feel sorry for the minority of Tunisians who are nice people. I would never recommend this as a country to visit. Do not go here.
Ive raised this point in the past, RIP to these three people and my condolences to their families, but thoughts and prayers will not protect Irish people in the future…but hang on you say, the leftys and tree huggers have all told us that the world loves the Irish, that we are a neutral state, we just love the craic and the guinness?
why would ISIS target Irish people?
We dont even invest in defence or security?
Yes left… you WERE and ARE still wrong.
have your say