Last night Louise James sat down with Tommy Tiernan ahead of the 10th anniversary of the Buncrana Pier tragedy, which claimed the lives of five of her family members.
Her partner Sean McGrotty (49), sons Mark (12) and Evan McGrotty (8), her mother Ruth Daniels, (57) and her sister, Jodie Lee Daniels (14) all died when the car they were in went into Lough Swilly from a slipway on March 20, 2016.
The sole survivor was Ríoghnach-Ann McGrotty, who was just four months old. Mr McGrotty handed his baby daughter to Davitt Walsh moments before the family’s SUV vehicle sank. The Kerrykeel man had swam out to the family in a desperate bid to rescue them.
Speaking on the show, which aired last night, Louise bravely discussed the tragic day and how she was returning home from a hen party when she learned of the disaster.
She recalled how she had a feeling something was wrong shortly after speaking to her sister on the phone and how when the plane landed she saw the news on another passenger’s phone that a black SUV had gone into the water at Buncrana Pier.
She described running off the plane, turning her phone back on and receiving a call from her brother, who confirmed the worst.
Louise explained how her life was flipped upside down instantly, going from a busy household to being alone with a four-month-old.
“The person that you want to talk to is no longer there. The person who you want to give you a hug to tell you everything’s going to be okay is no longer there.
“You think that can be your partner or your mum, but when the two of them are gone, you’re left standing going, ‘What do I do? Who do I turn to? Who do I talk to?”
She shared how her daughter kept her strong through the past decade.
“She’s my everything,” Louise said.
She described her daughter Ríoghnach, who is now ten years, as a mix of both her brothers.
Louise also spoke about the impact of the loss on her daughter, who misses her siblings that she never got to know. She comforts Ríoghnach by telling her that she does know them: “they’re basically you.”
Louise offered advice to others about the reality of grief.
“All I can say is be patient with somebody who is grieving. Everybody thinks the first year is the hardest It’s not. That’s the easiest.
“For me it was the second and third. The reality of everybody getting back to normal and then no longer being involved in people’s lives.”
A series of fundraisers have been organised ahead of the 10th anniversary of the tragedy next month.
Related posts:
Five members of the one family tragically lost their lives when their car slipped off Buncrana pier into Lough...
A memorial walk and anniversary mass are planned to mark the first anniversary of the tragedy.