Mullaghmore murders: IRA victim's mother 'felt healing balm'

A woman whose son was murdered in the same IRA bombing that killed a relative of Prince Charles has spoken of her sense of peace after his visit.

The prince visited the site in the Republic of Ireland where his great-uncle Lord Mountbatten died in 1979.

The bomb, at Mullaghmore, County Sligo, also killed Lord Mountbatten's grandson, Nicholas Knatchbull, 14, and 15-year-old Paul Maxwell.

Paul's mother, Mary Hornsey, said she felt a "healing balm".

She was speaking after attending service of peace and reconciliation at St Columba's Church in Drumcliffe, also attended by the royal couple on the second day of their visit to the island of Ireland.

Ms Hornsey said the day started off being very difficult.

"I didn't know how I was going to react coming back here again," she said.

"I could see the place where it actually had happened and I felt my stomach tightening. I was full of apprehension, I didn't know how I was going to react.

"But after the church service in Drumcliffe, which was absolutely wonderful, there was such a sense of healing, it was like a healing balm was present and a sense of forgiveness, and a great sense of hope.

"I came out feeling really euphoric."

It was the first time the prince had visited Mullaghmore.

He earlier said that the compassion shown by people there "has done much to aid the healing process".

He said the murder of his great-uncle and three others had given him a profound understanding of how people affected by the Troubles suffered.

Ms Hornsby said: "I would not have missed this day for the world. It was one of the most wonderful experiences I have had, turning a very tragic event into something that is healing and forgiving."