Donna-Marie McGillion says her family were told to prepare for the worst, and she was to be taken to the Royal Victoria Hospital but it was "very touch and go".

She says she had a 20% chance of survival when she arrived at the RVH because of how severe her injuries were.

Once she arrived she was placed in an induced coma where she remained for six weeks.

She says the next thing she recalls was waking up in the intensive care unit, with her family around her bed.

Mrs McGillion says when in the coma she could hear the voices and she always remained calm, but it is just "snippets of memory".

She says she received her last rites on four different occasions during this time.

Mrs McGillion says she owes her life "to the people of ICU".

Mrs McGillion says she has "no actual memory" of the bombing.

She says she “woke up six and half weeks later”.

“I have no idea when I got the hospital of what happened," she says.

Mrs McGillion explains that her family had been in the town looking for her.

She says her mother and father had walked past her several times, unable to recognise her from her injuries.

“Another family member recognised my engagement ring," she says, adding this is what became a means for identification.

Speaking of the "harrowing" experience, Mrs McGillion says the sounds of the sirens is one she can't bear to hear, as she felt "helpless" after the attack.

She says she is "glad" she didn't see what was going on around her on the day but the not knowing is "sometimes as hard" as it is something that "completely changed everything" in her life.

Mrs McGillion says the sounds of sirens bring her "right back" to that day.

She says amongst the sounds she remembers her now husband calling her name and asking where Breda was.

"It was when you hear that fear and when you're lying there and there's nothing you can do," she says.

She says without Mr McGillion's bravery they wouldn't found her as quickly.

Mrs McGillion describes “joking and bantering” about the upcoming wedding, while pushing Breda in the pram as she moved closer to the car containing the bomb.

“I didn’t hear a bang."

Mrs McGillion describes how that she can’t remember the complete details but did remember the screaming and crying of others.

She remembers thinking: “I’m helpless, I can’t move."

Donna-Marie McGillion says she was made aware of the bomb scare but with the Good Friday Agreement in place she says she was "99%" sure that it wouldn't go off and there would be no need to worry.

"We have the peace process, this is not going to happen, that's past us now," she says.

She remembers how a police officer advised her and the three others to move to the bottom of town.

Mrs McGillion says she has little to no memory after the explosion.

Starting to describe the day of the bombing, Mrs McGillion expresses the “good fun and anticipation” for her scheduled wedding a week later.

Speaking of the “good times” prior to the bombing, she mentioned her reason of heading into the town that day was to pick-up “one of the final piece” to “pick up flower girl shoes”.

Image source, Omagh Bombing Inquiry

Donna-Marie McGillion, the wife of Garry McGillion, was 22-years-old at the time of the bombing. She is speaking to the inquiry now.

She says she cannot imagine "the pain and suffering" of those who lost loved ones on the 15 August 1998.

On the day of the bomb, she says she was so seriously injured that those around her gave her the "will to live" and the heroic actions of her now husband gave her the chance to stay alive.

Image source, Omagh Bombing Inquiry

Lord Turnbull is now addressing Mr McGillion and says that it is “very obvious” that he and his family have suffered “enormously” in “many different ways”.

Highlighting Mr McGillion’s bravery, Lord Turnbull says that McGillion had “the clarity of thought and the determination to do what was necessary, to try and save the life of one of the most vulnerable victims of all of those injured”.

“Your conduct was truly remarkable”.

Mr McGillion says his entire family has suffered a lot, and have had many frustrations with how the bomb as dealt with.

He says the inquiry provides "hope" for survivors and victims to get closure, but also for the community to get answers.

He adds that he hopes to put this "awful day behind once and for all" but the "scars are there forever".

Breda's memory lives on with them, Mr Gillion says.

Mr McGillion says Donna-Marie McGillion was in a coma in the Royal Victoria Hospital for over six weeks.

He says not knowing what was happening with her or at home, things got "worse and worse".

Mr McGillion says he hadn't been back into Omagh until the day after Donna-Marie McGillion left intensive care.

He says he wondered why he walked out of the attack when people didn't, he says he had "survivor's guilt".

"Why was Breda not spared, why was I spared?" he says.

He says the only thing that changed about the upcoming wedding was that they were missing one person, Breda.

Despite the tragedy and the “tinge of sadness,” the people of Omagh attended the wedding day “in their masses” to show support for the couple.

Mr McGillion say “the courage and the support” of those in Omagh continues to shine through.

Mr McGillion is now describing the impact the bomb had on his mental health.

He describes a sense of “guilt” for Breda not surviving the blast – “something I’ll carry with me until the day I die”.

After leaving hospital, Mr McGillion describes visiting Breda’s grave after not being given the chance to “say goodbye”.

Mr McGillion says his father who was a firefighter on the day of the bombing, had recognised Breda's pushchair and "realised was something was bad".

It was then he arrived at the hospital to see them, he felt as if he was "guided" that day there to see Mr McGillion and Tracey.

He then returned to duty in Omagh where he felt he was "better needed".

Mr McGillion says his father's dedication on that day showed his "strength in character".

"He never was a man for showing his emotion... he was a main of great dignity... he was our hero," he says.

That night in hospital at Mr McGillion's bedside his father started to cry and that's when he says he knew "it was bad".

Mr McGillion says it is only "right" his father's role on that day is told.

Mr McGillion describes having “extensive plastic surgeries”.

He describes the physical pain as “unbelievable” and “unbearable”.

He describes “a pain that worse was than the physical pain” – finding out the niece Breda didn’t make it.

Mr McGillion says the words that he was "going to look after" Breda still haunts him to this day.

It was discovered that more than a third of the right hand side of his body and his head was covered in third degree burns.

He also sustained extensive shrapnel injuries to his legs and lost part of the muscle in the upper part of the right arm, and his ear drums had been blown.

In order to seek help for Breda, Mr McGillion says he raced to the top of town with Breda in his arms where he handed her over to a police man who passed her onto a traffic warden to take her to hospital.

He says she was still breathing, he felt her heartbeat but knew she needed urgent treatment.

Mr McGillion says it is a "harrowing" memory but as to this day "he can still feel Breda's heartbeat on my chest".

His intention was to run back down the town to help others but then several police officers told him that he needed to go to hospital.

He says he remembers pouring bottles of water over him in the police Land rover.

Mr Mc Gillion then describes trying to find now-wife Donna-Marie McGillion, his niece Breda and and his sister Tracey as his “main priority”.

He says he “distinctly” could hear Tracey shouting for Breda. He recalls the that Donna-Marie had “a shop sign on top of her”.

He tried to lift it and asked repeatedly asked Donna-Marie of Breda’s whereabouts.

Once he got back onto his feet, Mr McGillion says it was as if "somebody was turning the radio up", as he could hear alarms and people shouting for their loved ones.

As well as the "piercing screams" and the whole area was "dark" as if "dust had just settled", he says you could taste and smell it.

"It was like a high pitched squeal in my ears and it wasn't until I realised when I put my hand up that my shirt was on fire, so I ripped my shirt off and I realised I had a hole in the back of my head," he says.

Mr McGillion says that the bombing “altered and changed every aspect of my life”.

He explains that he stepped in between cars and onto the footpath and felt what he described as a “massive electric shock”.

“My body froze and I just felt as if there was a shock going through my body.”

Image source, Omagh Bombing Inquiry

Mr McGillion was 24-years-old at the time of the Real IRA attack.

He was due to get married on the 22 August 1998. On the morning of 15 August 1998, they had arranged to take their flower girl, his niece Breda Devine, to Omagh to buy a pair of shoes.

He says he had been made aware of a bomb alert before they entered the shop so the idea was to get the shoes bought and "get out of town" as "quickly as possible".

The inquiry hearing has begun for the day and Garry McGillion is the first survivor to speak.