Certainty helps family to accept bereavement

Irish victim: The father of a 22-year-old Irish passport holder killed in last week's London bombings has said the confirmation of his son's death will make it easier for the family to accept their loss.

Seán Cassidy (57) said yesterday: "He has been confirmed as dead . . . it makes his death more acceptable. It's not speculation, anymore, it's the truth."

An inquest into Ciarán Cassidy's death, and six other people who died in the bombings, opened yesterday.

He was on board an Underground train in the King's Cross area as he made his way to work last Thursday morning.

The family launched a frantic search for him since the bombing. The Metropolitan Police confirmed his death yesterday.

Meanwhile, a New Zealand woman thought to be travelling on an Irish passport is still missing, while a 24-year-old Co Galway man is recovering from head and arm injuries.

Mr Cassidy said: "We knew something was wrong early on. He was seen getting on the train, and he'd come home every night for his dinner."

He said Ciarán was a regular visitor to Ireland and one of his most enjoyable trips was to a soccer match in Lansdowne Road. "It was one of the greatest days of his life. He was a big soccer fan, and an Arsenal fan. He'd visit home and to Enniskillen, where my wife is from, regularly. He had a Cavan GAA jersey but he didn't get much use out of it," Mr Cassidy joked.

"We're all coping at the moment, whether we can hang on in the long term, time will tell."