AN IRISH woman facing her first Christmas without her husband and children has urged people to cherish their time with loved ones.
Geraldine Mullan was the only member of her family to survive when their car slid from the pier in Lough Foyle, Donegal, after a day out in August of this year.
While Ms Mullan was dragged from the wreckage by rescuers, she lost her husband, John (49), teenage son Tomás (14) and six-year-old daughter Amelia in the tragedy.
The family had just enjoyed a trip to Derry and were travelling back to their home in wet and windy weather and on a road which had recently been resurfaced when John lost control of the car.
The grieving mother appeared on RTÉ's Prime Time last night, where she said this Christmas would be "very difficult" for her as it would be the first one without her husband and children.
John, Tomás and Amelia Mullan died tragically in August of this year. Image: Facebook"I don't have any Christmas presents to wrap for John, Tomás and Amelia this year and that I find very difficult, but I will still get through the Christmas," she told presenter Miriam O'Callaghan.
"It's still going to be another day without them."
Rather than buying presents for her family this year, Ms Mullan said she hoped that her "Christmas present to John, Tomás and Amelia is that more kids get hugs and kisses from their mums and dads."
She expressed a wish for "more people to tell their loved ones that they love each other, because I didn't know August 20 was going to be the last day I got to tell John, Tomás and Amelia I loved them."
This Christmas and New Year will be "very difficult", Geraldine says. (Image: RTÉ Prime Time)She continued: "My message is just simple. Just remember how precious life it.
"Cherish every moment and tell the ones you love, you love them."
Ms Mullan, who has been through more pain than most people could even imagine, also revealed that she had begged the man who had rescued her to let her go, as she knew her family had not made it.
The coastguard, Kevin Barr, did not give up however.
"He held onto me and kept apologising because he knew they were gone, too," she said.
Geraldine Mullan spoke to RTÉ's Prime Time last night to urge people to tell their loved ones they love them as often as possble (RTÉ Prime Time)"He just said 'I am so sorry, Geraldine, I can't let you go.' And I'm here today because of Kevin and the work of all those people that worked so hard that night to get me out of the water."
The Donegal woman thanked everyone who had sent her a message of support over the last painful few months, saying the support from both family, the community and strangers are part of the reason she gets up every morning.
"John, Tomás and Amelia may not physically be with me any more, but they're definitely still with me in spirit. They're in my heart. And that's were they will forever stay.
"I'll love them for the rest of my days."
See More: Christmas, Donegal, Mullan Tragedy, Prime Time
