Ulster mother's terror as NI youth group caught in Brussels bombings

A teenager from Co Antrim was among a group of about 15 young people caught up in the unfolding calamity in Belgium.
By The Newsroom
Published 22nd Mar 2016, 11:47 BST
Updated 22nd Mar 2016, 19:28 BST
Shealyn CaulfieldShealyn Caulfield
Shealyn Caulfield

Clare Caulfield’s daughter Shealyn, aged 17, narrowly missed being caught up in the carnage at airport on Tuesday morning, as she prepared to return from a fact-finding trip to the continent along with around 14 other Northern Irish young people.

The pupil of St Patrick’s in Ballymena has a rare heart condition and had recently recovered from surgery.

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She and the rest of the “youth council” group to which she belongs – including pupils from Newtownabbey and Ballyclare – are understood to be unhurt.

A screengrab taken from Sky TV of the scene at Brussels Airport, Belgium, where two explosions have been heardA screengrab taken from Sky TV of the scene at Brussels Airport, Belgium, where two explosions have been heard
A screengrab taken from Sky TV of the scene at Brussels Airport, Belgium, where two explosions have been heard

Clare told the News Letter that Shealyn had travelled out from Northern Ireland on Friday, and was returning on Tuesday.

“She texted this morning [just after 6am] to say that they missed the first train to the airport,” said Clare.

“They missed that train – thank God.

“At that stage, I knew nothing about it. I was in spin class in the gym.

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A screengrab taken from Sky TV of the scene at Brussels Airport, Belgium, where two explosions have been heardA screengrab taken from Sky TV of the scene at Brussels Airport, Belgium, where two explosions have been heard
A screengrab taken from Sky TV of the scene at Brussels Airport, Belgium, where two explosions have been heard

“I happened to look over to the left and saw all this running on the TV.

“I was about to pass out. I couldn’t take it in.”

Shealyn had been considering not going on the trip, but her mother – a representative of Unite the union in Ballymena – persuaded her.

“Here’s me making her go away!” she added.

“Honest to God, you couldn’t write it. Whenever I saw [the news] this morning, I near collapsed.”

The first news of a bombing at the airport was reported by the BBC at 7.46am.

Shealyn and others had been due to fly home at 10.05am.

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In an online message to her mother, Shealyn had written: “We missed our first train to the airport so we were 10 minutes behind schedule and missed the bombing by a few minutes.

“As soon as we arrived at the airport we were told to sprint out of the emergency exits.

“We then were walking towards a metro and were told that there had been another bombing in the metro stations and that public transport was shut down.

“The metro station that we were at this morning outside of our hotel was bombed.”

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Shealyn, who is in fifth year, went on to take refuge in a pub, and was “playing cards with a lot of French travellers” according to her mother.

Clare said: “Some of the other kids, girls that were with them, were crying; they were really scared.

“But Shealyn has been through so much in her life, so much – it’s just one thing after the next after the next after the next...

“Shealyn rallies into ‘lets get through this mode’. That’s the way she’s always been.”

Nicholson trapped in building 1,500ft from explosion.

Video from the scene.

Related topics:BelgiumUlsterBallymenaBallyclare