Limerick schoolgirls 'ran in panic' as Nice terror attack unfolded

Seconds before the attack, the truck passed the girls as they took photos of each other enjoying the festivities. However, moments later there was complete mayhem.

Ms McGann described how the party of four - all students at Laurel Hill Colaiste, Limerick - including Roisin Howard, Roisin Begley and Mary Egan - "ran in panic" as the terror attack unfolded.

Speaking to me from Nice, Ms McGann, from the Ennis Road, Limerick, said: "It was just complete panic. We were all just running, trying to get home as fast as we could."

"There were tears and everything, because we didn't know where the rest of our friends were."

She added: "The beach is right beside the prom, so we were literally there, only a few yards away. We were just so lucky...The lorry must have drove past us."

The four students travelled to Nice over two weeks ago, to live with a local family in order to brush up on their language skills ahead of their Leaving Cert Exams next June.

Ms McGann said: "We looked up, and saw people sprinting, and there was screaming and shouting, and everyone on the beach starting running in the other direction, so we just packed up our stuff and we started running with the crowd."

In the aftermath of the attack, Ms McGann, and Roisin Howard, 17, from Fedamore, Co Limerick, got separated from their fellow students, Roisin Begley, 17, from Clonlara, Co Clare, and Mary Egan, 17, from Killaloe, Co Clare.

"We got split up - two and two - me and (Roisin Howard) just kept running, and we were trying to talk to French people trying to find out what happened. We had no idea what was going on," Ms McGann said.

She explained how she and Ms Howard were comforted by a French family on the street as they waited for the attack to end.

"They explained to us that there was a lorry that was running people down. We stuck with them for a little while until we thought it was safe to leave," she said.

Shocked and distraught the girls had to cross over the promenade and pass dozens of dead bodies lying on the road.

"Once the truck had gone further down the prom, we crossed over (it), and we saw loads of plastic (body) bags and loads of dead bodies on the roads," Ms McGann said.

"The people we were with brought us home, and we eventually found the other two girls - it was really scary because we didn't know where they and we had no way of contacting them."

Once back at their apartment the four girls were able to contact their families in Ireland, who hadn't been aware of the attack.

"We got in touch with home the minute we got back, once we got wi-fi. They had no idea. When we called them they hadn't heard at that stage, and they had some shock as well," Ms McGann said.

Last Sunday the girls witnessed another traumatic incident when a hit and run occurred outside their apartment block.

"We heard this big huge bang, and then a screech, and a man roared. He screamed. I pushed back the shutters, looked outside, and saw a man covered in blood on the side of the road," Ms McGann said.

"People started screaming, and I called 911. There was a woman injured as well. A car was obviously crashed, it was in the middle of the road."

"We looked further down the road and there was a motorbike.

"Later on we found out that it was a stolen car and the people in the car had fled the scene and left two people on the side of the road, and I think they are still in a critical condition in hospital."

Ms McGann said: "We thought that was the worst of the worst that we saw - we were obviously traumatised after that. And then, what happened last night...its just insane."

She said she loved France, but would now have to consider if she would visit the country again.

"To be honest, the hit and run can happen anywhere, but last night, it was scary, and it was a shock.

"But, I really like this country, I really like France. it's such a beautiful place, and it's just so horrible that things like this are happening."

"I definitely think, that after this, I won't be coming to France for a while," she added.

"We've been on lock down ever since. It's not fully safe yet to leave the house," she said.