Woman who lost family in crash says they 'were her world'

A woman who lost her husband and two children in a crash in Co Donegal in 2020 has said they were her "whole world" and that losing her family has caused her "immeasurable pain and heartbreak".

At Letterkenny Circuit Criminal Court today, a roadworks company was fined €1.2m over health and safety breaches linked to the crash.

Whitemountain Quarries Ltd pleaded guilty to failing to manage and conduct public traffic safely through roadworks at Three Trees, Quigley's Point on 20 August 2020.

Geraldine Mullan, who lost her husband John, 49, and her two children Tomás, 14, and Amelia, six, in the crash, said today was a significant day in a journey that began almost six years ago.

"They were my whole world, and I was the sole survivor of the accident that took their lives," she said.

"All I have ever wanted is justice for John, Tomás and Amelia. Today's judgment has lifted a weight from me.

"My heart has been broken into pieces; the pain and heartbreak is immeasurable.

"There is no end to my grief. I will never get over our accident. It will live with me for the rest of my days," she said.

Outside court this afternoon, she said no family should ever have to endure the heartbreak that she lives with every day.

"I hope today's outcome is a step towards accountability and ultimately means no other family shall experience a tragedy of such epic proportion similar to mine.

"While nothing can ever bring John, Tomás and Amelia back, I hope this marks the beginning of a new chapter where I can move forward while carrying them with me every day."

She said while her grief will never end that she made a promise to John, Tomás and Amelia on the day she laid them to rest that she would never lose hope.

"I promised I would keep living life to the fullest, cherish every moment, and honour their memory in everything I do. I intend to keep that promise," she said.

In her victim impact statement, Ms Mullan told the court that all she ever wanted for her beloved John, Tomás and Amelia was justice.

She said she did not want any other family to go through what she is going through, adding: "I would not wish it on my worst enemy."

"I hope by speaking today, I have spoken for them - John, Tomás and Amelia," she said.

Ms Mullan said she wants people to remember John, Tomás and Amelia for who they were, three people who she described as extraordinary individuals who filled her life with "love, laughter, and happiness."

She said: "They were everything to me, and they always will be. I will carry them in my heart for the rest of my life.

"If there is one message, I want people to take away from today, it is my constant refrain since the 20th of August 2020: always tell people you love them.

"Hug and kiss your children dearly. Cherish every moment because life can change in an instant and no matter how dark it becomes, never lose hope."