Kinsale couple so lucky to escape Nice terror attack

BY KIERAN O’MAHONY

A KINSALE couple holidaying in Nice had a lucky escape last Thursday week when terror struck the popular Promenade des Anglais, which saw 84 people being killed after being mowed down in a truck driven by Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhel.

Marian and Tim Wright from Cloneigh had been enjoying the fireworks display to celebrate Bastille Day and were walking back along the famous promenade when ‘all hell broke lose.’

‘We were heading back to our hotel when suddenly we saw six armed policemen running up the promenade. Suddenly there were thousands of people running in our direction and we just ran with them with Tim holding a firm grip on my hand,’ Marian told The Southern Star.

‘We could barely see the truck coming down the promenade but we kept running and ran into the Meridan Hotel just to get off the street. We ran into a fire escape which was packed with people screaming and crying and it was pretty terrifying and everyone was speaking French so it was disorienting.’

Marian and Tim stayed there for 20 minutes before someone found a door into an upstairs dining room in the hotel and they stayed there until they were allowed by the police to leave the hotel.

‘We hadn’t a clue what was exactly happening and it was only when we got back to the hotel and rang home that we knew something really bad had happened. We just stayed in our room for the night and we watched the news to get updates on developments,’ added Marian.

It’s unnerving for Marian and Tim when they think that, had they started walking back earlier than they did along the Promenade des Anglais, they would have been in the middle of this terror attack.

‘We were going to go home earlier than planned, but we decided to stay on and came home on Tuesday. The last few days were of course very sombre and people were crying and leaving flowers along the promenade. 

‘It was definitely the closest brush we’ve had with terrorism and we’re just glad to be home in Kinsale.’