Latest news with #PaddyQuinn


Courier-Mail
16-07-2025
- Business
- Courier-Mail
Massive price for 1960s time capsule home
A 1960s house, built by a carpenter for his family and preserved as if time stood still, has sold for $2.405m, setting a new benchmark for an original property in one of the Gold Coast's most sought-after beachside pockets. With a Hills Hoist in the backyard and lace tablecloths in the kitchen, the cottage amazed buyers with its immaculately preserved tableau of the past as it came to market for the first time ever. The three-bedroom, two-bathroom house on a 670 sqm lot at 9 Tawarri Cres, Burleigh Heads, sold 11 days after listing, to a local buyer planning to build a family home. Marketing agent Paddy Quinn, of PRD Burleigh Heads, said the price was the highest achieved for an original home in the popular community of Koala Park, located close to picturesque Tallebudgera Creek. 'This is a prime lifestyle location where high-end luxury homes have sold for phenomenal amounts, and the result is testament to how competitive it has become to get into Koala Park,' Mr Quinn said. The last comparable sale was a four-bedroom house on the same street, sold for $1.94m in December and on the market for the first time in 26 years. MORE NEWS Burleigh 'marble mansion' up for rent Inside content creator's $2.7m dream home switch Qld renters missing out on energy bill relief With its cream and green exterior, retro coloured glass, shagpile carpets and shelves displaying religious figures, Mr Quinn said the house at 9 Tawarri sent many buyers on a trip down memory lane. 'The home had never been renovated and was kept pretty much as though time had stood still since the 1960s,' he said. 'The idea of the campaign was firstly, to pay homage to the vendors' late parents for their quality construction of a home that showcases enduring craftsmanship and timeless character – the saying, 'they don't build them like they used to', comes to mind.' It was sold as a deceased estate, and had been home to the seller's mother, a beloved local character known as 'Terry', since it was built until her death aged 91. 'It was a one-of-a-kind house built with a lot of love for a very loving family.' PropTrack data shows house prices in Burleigh Heads were up 16.2 per cent over the past 12 months to a median of $1.569m.

News.com.au
16-07-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Massive price for 1960s time capsule home
A 1960s house, built by a carpenter for his family and preserved as if time stood still, has sold for $2.405m, setting a new benchmark for an original property in one of the Gold Coast's most sought-after beachside pockets. With a Hills Hoist in the backyard and lace tablecloths in the kitchen, the cottage amazed buyers with its immaculately preserved tableau of the past as it came to market for the first time ever. The three-bedroom, two-bathroom house on a 670 sqm lot at 9 Tawarri Cres, Burleigh Heads, sold 11 days after listing, to a local buyer planning to build a family home. Marketing agent Paddy Quinn, of PRD Burleigh Heads, said the price was the highest achieved for an original home in the popular community of Koala Park, located close to picturesque Tallebudgera Creek. 'This is a prime lifestyle location where high-end luxury homes have sold for phenomenal amounts, and the result is testament to how competitive it has become to get into Koala Park,' Mr Quinn said. The last comparable sale was a four-bedroom house on the same street, sold for $1.94m in December and on the market for the first time in 26 years. Burleigh 'marble mansion' up for rent Qld renters missing out on energy bill relief With its cream and green exterior, retro coloured glass, shagpile carpets and shelves displaying religious figures, Mr Quinn said the house at 9 Tawarri sent many buyers on a trip down memory lane. 'The home had never been renovated and was kept pretty much as though time had stood still since the 1960s,' he said. 'The idea of the campaign was firstly, to pay homage to the vendors' late parents for their quality construction of a home that showcases enduring craftsmanship and timeless character – the saying, 'they don't build them like they used to', comes to mind.' It was sold as a deceased estate, and had been home to the seller's mother, a beloved local character known as 'Terry', since it was built until her death aged 91. 'It was a one-of-a-kind house built with a lot of love for a very loving family.' PropTrack data shows house prices in Burleigh Heads were up 16.2 per cent over the past 12 months to a median of $1.569m.


The Independent
17-02-2025
- The Independent
Omagh families ‘woefully let down' by police, father of victim tells inquiry
The families of those bereaved in the Omagh bombing were 'woefully let down' by a poor police investigation, the father of a boy killed in the explosion has said. Victor Barker told the Omagh Bombing Inquiry that his son James's life had been taken away from him in the most 'evil and barbaric fashion'. James Barker was 12 when he was killed in the bombing. Twenty-nine people, including a woman pregnant with twins, were killed when the Real IRA bombed the Co Tyrone town in August 1998. A public inquiry, being held at the Strule Arts Centre, has been hearing personal statements from those affected by the massacre. Appearing via a remote link, Mr Barker said: 'Like so many thousands of others who have lost loved ones in the Troubles, I have some very dark moments. 'But I have done all I can to bring some kind of justice for James and everyone else. 'We have been woefully let down by a very poorly conducted police investigation and, I might add, a chief constable in Sir Ronnie Flanagan who, in my view, fell well short of the mark. 'The civil case has taken a great deal out of so many families. 'James had his life taken away from him in the most evil and barbaric fashion and he was robbed of his bright and happy future. 'I sometimes doubt whether he has the same human rights as the terrorists. 'We should all remember that pain has no nationality and no borders, but neither does the love of the human heart.' Concluding the proceedings for Monday, counsel to the inquiry Paul Greaney KC said that Tracey Devine, who was severely injured in the explosion which killed her daughter Breda, had died on Saturday. He said the inquiry would not sit during her funeral on Tuesday. Earlier, the inquiry had heard from emergency service workers who had been in Omagh on the day of the explosion. Richard Quigley told the inquiry that he was a young paramedic and Omagh was the first explosion he had ever attended. He gave evidence that he had helped to transfer dead victims in body bags from the scene to a temporary mortuary. He said: 'I recall seeing the number of body bags laid out and each had its own area. All in rows. 'The size of the gym and the number of the body bags on the floor was something that should only have been seen in a movie.' People had died there, people were injured there. I couldn't walk over it, I couldn't drive over it Firefighter Paddy Quinn The inquiry also heard from firefighter Paddy Quinn, who said he has never forgotten his experiences from attending the bomb scene. Recalling for years how he had struggled to return to the site, he said: 'I couldn't drive it, I couldn't walk it. 'I would go right round the town, no matter where I was, and enter through George's Street and down past the courthouse to avoid it. ' People had died there, people were injured there. I couldn't walk over it, I couldn't drive over it.' Mr Greaney read statements from three survivors of the attack, Maeve O'Brien, her sister Dervlagh, and Damian Murphy. Maeve O'Brien was 13 and had been shopping in Omagh on the day of the attack. She said people were moved to Market Street, where the bomb exploded, but her grandmother said they should move to another location. She said this was the reason she and her family were not physically harmed. Even now, in 2024, I can viscerally remember the sound of the bomb - the strange electrical smell and the haze coming from Market Street Omagh bombing survivor Maeve O'Brien Her statement said: 'My life has been divided into a time of living before and after the Omagh bomb. 'It was the end of childhood and the final loss of innocence for me. 'Even now, in 2024, I can viscerally remember the sound of the bomb, the strange electrical smell and the haze coming from Market Street.' She added: 'I remember the panic and fear in everyone's movements after the initial blast. 'I have a true understanding of the saying your blood running cold.' Her sister, Dervlagh, was eight years old on the day the bomb exploded. She recalled the power of the blast causing her to fall to the ground and crawling underneath a car for safety. She said the subsequent scenes of devastation in the town have had a lifelong impact on her. She said: 'In my 20s I developed panic attacks. 'I took myself to Omagh minor injuries unit, as I believed I was having a heart attack.' She added: 'I feel my experience will have a lifelong negative impact on the quality of my life.' The screams and smells were overwhelming. I first saw people come past me with loads of bleeding Omagh bombing survivor Damian Murphy Mr Murphy was training to be a teacher in 1998 and had gone into Omagh to send some emails. He said the bomb exploded as he reached the town's library. 'I came back through the smoke and dust to Lower Market Street,' he said. 'The screams and smells were overwhelming. 'I first saw people come past me with loads of bleeding.' He said he met three Spanish girls who were bleeding and he gave them paper towels. 'I was somewhat dazed as I entered what looked like Market Street. My immediate thought was to get people out of here. 'I jumped in a window and grabbed a chair. I saw a policeman. I shouted at him and said 'Come on, let's get people out of here'. 'We put people on the chair and lifted them down for easier access to cars and ambulances. 'I can't remember how many times we did this.'


The Independent
17-02-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Firefighter says he has never witnessed anything like Omagh bomb in 30 years
One of the first firefighters to respond to the Omagh bombing said he has never witnessed anything in three decades which comes close to the scenes of devastation on the day. Paddy Quinn told the Omagh Bombing Inquiry that he has never revealed to his wife what he witnessed on the day, and for years avoided returning to the site. The inquiry at the Strule Arts Centre in the Co Tyrone town is continuing to hear personal statements from witnesses and people affected by the Real IRA bombing in August 1998. Until I wrote this personal statement, my wife had not known what that day was Paddy Quinn The public inquiry was set up by the Government to examine whether the explosion, which killed 29 people, including the mother of unborn twins, could have been prevented by the UK authorities. Mr Quinn was a part-time firefighter on the day of the bombing and is currently temporary district commander for the Omagh district in the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service. He told the inquiry that he and his colleagues did not speak much to each other after they had attended the explosion. He said: 'It seemed they just wanted to go back to their families, to be with their families.' Mr Quinn added: 'Until I wrote this personal statement, my wife had not known what that day was.' Referring to the impact on his colleagues, he said: 'Some of the firefighters had far worse experiences than me. 'A firefighter from another station lost a member of his family. 'Some to this day still need support for what they experienced.' Mr Quinn said he had avoided the Market Street area in the Co Tyrone town, where the car bomb exploded, for years. He said: 'I couldn't drive it, I couldn't walk it. 'I would go right round the town, no matter where I was and enter through George's Street and down past the courthouse to avoid it. 'People had died there, people were injured there. I couldn't walk over it, I couldn't drive over it.' He said his wife had eventually encouraged him to return to the scene. He said: 'One day she managed to get me to walk it. I imagined where we worked was a lot longer, it was very short, a short distance. That surprised me. 'I remembered that every time I avoided it, I remembered the day and the scene. 'But even now that I can drive and walk it, I still remember as I walk past it. My mind goes back to that day.' Mr Quinn told the inquiry that he has now trained as a critical incident stress management facilitator, to help other firefighters deal with trauma. He said: 'Now I regularly help others, so they can understand the emotional trauma and stress they have experienced and help them with that. 'I am using my experience to help them.' He said: 'My experience of the Omagh bomb, along with other incidents, helped me to support and understand others who may have been impacted by attending incidents that have the potential to cause emotional trauma.' I think that is obvious from the fact you have retained such vivid and upsetting memories, even after all the years that have passed Lord Turnbull Mr Quinn added: 'In these 29 years I have attended many tragic and horrendous incidents, but nothing I have responded to since the Omagh bomb has ever come anywhere close.' Inquiry chairman Lord Turnbull said: 'The tasks which you and your colleagues attended to on that day must have placed an intolerable strain on each of you. 'I think that is obvious from the fact you have retained such vivid and upsetting memories, even after all the years that have passed.'


The Independent
17-02-2025
- The Independent
Omagh first responders recall scenes which ‘should only be seen in a movie'
Emergency service workers have been giving evidence to the Omagh Bombing Inquiry, describing scenes which 'should only have been seen in a movie'. Twenty-nine people, including a woman pregnant with twins, were killed when the Real IRA bombed the Co Tyrone town in August 1998. A public inquiry, being held at the Strule Arts Centre, has been hearing personal statements from those affected by the massacre. Richard Quiqley told the inquiry that he was a young paramedic and Omagh was the first explosion he had ever attended. He gave evidence that he had helped to transfer dead victims in body bags from the scene to a temporary morgue. He said: 'I recall seeing the number of body bags laid out and each had its own area. All in rows. 'The size of the gym and the number of the body bags on the floor was something that should only have been seen in a movie.' People had died there, people were injured there. I couldn't walk over it, I couldn't drive over it Firefighter Paddy Quinn The inquiry also heard from firefighter Paddy Quinn, who said he has never forgotten his experiences from attending the bomb scene. Recalling for years how he had struggled to return to the site, he said: 'I couldn't drive it, I couldn't walk it. 'I would go right round the town, no matter where I was, and enter through George's Street and down past the courthouse to avoid it. ' People had died there, people were injured there. I couldn't walk over it, I couldn't drive over it.' Later, counsel to the inquiry Paul Greaney KC read statements from three survivors of the attack – Maeve O'Brien, her sister Dervlagh, and Damian Murphy. Maeve O'Brien was 13 and had been shopping in Omagh on the day of the attack. She said people were moved to Market Street, where the bomb exploded, but her grandmother said they should move to another location. She said this was the reason she and her family were not physically harmed. Even now, in 2024, I can viscerally remember the sound of the bomb - the strange electrical smell and the haze coming from Market Street Omagh bombing survivor Maeve O'Brien Her statement said: 'My life has been divided into a time of living before and after the Omagh bomb. 'It was the end of childhood and the final loss of innocence for me. 'Even now, in 2024, I can viscerally remember the sound of the bomb – the strange electrical smell and the haze coming from Market Street.' She added: 'I remember the panic and fear in everyone's movements after the initial blast. 'I have a true understanding of the saying your blood running cold.' Her sister, Dervlagh, was eight years old on the day the bomb exploded. She recalled the power of the blast causing her to fall to the ground and crawling underneath a car for safety. She said the subsequent scenes of devastation in the town have had a lifelong impact on her. She said: 'In my 20s I developed panic attacks. 'I took myself to Omagh minor injuries unit, as I believed I was having a heart attack.' She added: 'I feel my experience will have a lifelong negative impact on the quality of my life.' The screams and smells were overwhelming. I first saw people come past me with loads of bleeding Omagh bombing survivor Damian Murphy Mr Murphy was training to be a teacher in 1998 and had gone into Omagh to send some emails. He said the bomb exploded as he reached the town's library. 'I came back through the smoke and dust to Lower Market Street,' he said. 'The screams and smells were overwhelming. 'I first saw people come past me with loads of bleeding.' He said he met three Spanish girls who were bleeding and he gave them paper towels. 'I was somewhat dazed as I entered what looked like Market Street. My immediate thought was to get people out of here. 'I jumped in a window and grabbed a chair. I saw a policeman. I shouted at him and said 'Come on, let's get people out of here. 'We put people on the chair and lifted them down for easier access to cars and ambulances. 'I can't remember how many times we did this.'