Victims of Enniskillen Poppy Day bomb remember Princess Diana
By Eden Wilson
Princess Diana was killed in a car crash in Paris 25 years ago today.
Shockwaves spread across the world, as her adoring fans and followers joined together to grieve for the 36-year-old mother.
The Princess’s image and influence has been her legacy.
In Northern Ireland, one of her most profound visits followed one of its darkest days.
The Enniskillen Poppy Day Bomb killed 11 people and injured more than 60.
In the weeks that followed, Princess Diana visited the wounded at The Erne hospital.
She sat by the bedside of 32-year-old Daphne Stephenson, who suffered broken bones and lacerations in the IRA explosion.
“She was there because of the terrible tragedy that happened in Enniskillen,” Daphne told UTV.
She continued: “I told her about how I had been buried alive and she was very interested in what injuries I had and asked me about it all.
“I think it gave everybody a real boost, that they had an interest in coming because In those days Nortjern Ireland was a dangerous place for members of the royal family to come to.”
Princess Diana also met with the loved ones of the 11 murdered.
Alberta Quinton’s daughter, Aileen, said the bereaved were taken to St Angelo’s airport to meet the Princess.
“On the way we saw there car or something and we saw them waving at us, so they had obviously been told what or who was in the bus,” said Aileen.
While handshakes and greetings didn’t take away their pain, Diana’s visit lifted the spirits of many affected by the events of 8th November 1987.