This article is from page 4 of the 2006-07-18 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 4 JPG
THE parents of a Scariff GP, who were trapped in Beirut when the bombing started, are now recovering from their ordeal in Cyprus.
Tom and Mary McGee arrived in the city to begin a holiday on Tuesday and less than 24-hours later found themselves in a warzone with no way out.
Their son, Conor, confirmed yesterday that the couple had made it to safety but questioned “why Foreign Affairs only moved today to get people out – that’s a week after trouble started.”
Dr McGee said that his parents had contacted the Irish Consulate when the bombing started and were advised to hire a taxi to take them to Damascus.
“They planned to do that and then the road to Damascus was bombed. They contacted the consulate again and were told to stay put, but local people were telling them to get out.”
In the tense days of waiting, Conor said, he was in contact with his mother and father by phone and text. “They were trying to remain calm, but it was terrifying for them. One day they arrived on holiday and the next they woke up to find everything was being bombed.”
The couple eventually got together with a group of 50 people of various nationalities who hired a bus and made it to Damascus by various winding back roads.
“When they got to Damascus, it was chaos because 15,000 people flooded into the city. They had terrible trouble finding accommodation, but eventually, some members of the Irish Defence Forces helped organise accommodation for them and they got on a flight to Cyprus yesterday morning.”
The couple, who are living in Banagher, County Offaly, decided to go on holidays to Beirut after their son, Alan, who had served a year in the Defence Forces in the Lebanon, told them how wonderful the country was.
“That was how they had the Defence Forces connection and they really helped them,” said Conor.
He added that he did not feel the Irish authorities had moved quickly enough to protect any citizens who found themselves caught up in the fighting.
“It’s been going on for a week and considering eight Canadians were killed you might think Foreign Affairs might have moved faster. But we’re just relieved that our parents are out and safe,” the Scariff GP said.
The McGees are now taking a break in Cyprus to rest after their terrifying ordeal.
They will return home to Ireland later in the week.