‘The shaking was just phenomenal’

Seamus Enright

A Belturbet man working in Mexico has recounted the terrifying effect the series of near daily earthquakes has had on the country he now calls "home".

"It was almost like your brain detaching from your skull. The shaking was just phenomenal," said teacher Barry O’Reilly, who in the aftermath has assisted the humanitarian effort in areas left devastated in Mexico City and its more impoverished outlying areas.
Having moved to Mexico a little over two years ago, the 35-year-old who lives in the Coyoacán neighbourhood, told The Anglo-Celt: "slowly but surely people are putting their lives back together".
"Those that still have houses are lucky. But there is a lot to do yet, there's a lot of people going to be left homeless by the last earthquake, their houses are not safe enough to go back into.
"There'll also be a lot of aftercare needed, a lot of psychological support, people have been very affected by what's happened, it's not all just bricks and mortar," adds Barry, whose parents are Phil and Brian from Fay Crescent.
 

Tremor

When the first powerful 8 magnitude earthquake struck the Morelos region south of Mexico City on September 8 last, Barry recalls he was settling down for the night, at which time the Mexican State pre-earthquake alarm went off.
"It was about 11pm. Where we were you could feel the effect of the tremor but it wasn't that bad. It was only after that we learned that areas like Axochiapan, Morelos, and Oaxaca had been with ones most badly hit, and still are affected badly. There are still major problems there, and relief is badly needed in those areas."
Minor tremors since then have provided little respite for a country now on tenterhooks, with the 7.1 magnitude earthquake on September 19 killing more than 155 people and toppling dozens of buildings.
It actually occurred the same day the school where Barry teaches Business and Business Management had organised a earthquake evacuation drill for faculty and students.
"At 11am the drill went off as planned, we got everyone out but then the earthquake hit, at 1.14pm during our lunchtime. Thankfully we were all outside."
What ensued, Barry explains was like having someone shake your head holding it in two hands.
"Cars in the car park just shook like toys almost, such was the effect, it was just so hard, the ground moving beneath you. It's a frightening experience, very surreal."
 

Collapsed

It was only at the end of the school day that Barry and his fellow teaching friends realised that a building near to their school had also collapsed, and with all of their student body accounted for, they embarked to join assembled masses in assisting in the rescue effort.
"We joined the effort, and fell into this almost conveyor belt line of people passing chunks of rubble away from where collapsed site. We just did what we could. When it got dark you had guys driving cars up to shine light on it. It just didn't stop until everyone could be accounted for. The Mexican people weren't left wanting for volunteers."
Younger brother of well known Cavan GAA star Jason O’Reilly, Barry and friend recently travelled south of Mexico City to areas where the local man says the damage is simply "unbelievable".
Already friends and family here in Ireland are rallying to Barry's cause, with fundraising efforts in the pipeline; something the local man is very thankful for.
"It's incredible the damage. A lot of supplies will be needed, construction materials and everything else. These are poor areas anyway, they didn't need an earthquake to make things more economically disadvantaged. What we've done is we've adopted a town in Morelos, getting blankets and things like that, anything to help their situation."