Galway teacher 'stopped herself from being killed' after crazed attacker 'known to gardai' pounces at bus stop

A brave Galway primary school teacher had to wrestle off her attacker and save herself from being pushed into oncoming traffic in an unprovoked broad daylight assault.

As cars zoomed past during busy Bohermore morning traffic on September 4, Orla Hurney was trying desperately to defend herself from being killed as a crazed woman targeted her while she was going about her normal day.

The 33-year-old, who is from Claregalway originally but now lives in town, bravely returned to the scene of her attack retracing her exact same footsteps just five days after the most frightening moment of her life.

She told Galway Live: “It was 11am. I was down in my gym, I live nearby so I’m always walking around Bohermore. At least once a week I will walk into town and walk that road.

“I was walking the Sean Mulvoy Road and it was that bit quieter people wise. Because it was quiet, I was more alert and watching my surroundings.

“I walked through the Circle K petrol station there off the roundabout and at the opposite side to the Bohermore Cemetery, there was a young woman sitting on the wall at the bus stop.

“She was in her early 20s, had a brown bomber jacket on and tracksuit pants and had dirt smudged on her face.”

Orla said that her attacker stared at her as she walked that road making her feel more in danger the closer she got to her.

“There was cars passing but for once there was no other pedestrians on that road. She hopped off the wall and she’s now facing towards me with her fists clenched, which I thought was concerning.

“I anticipated that she was going to do or say something. I had my head down walking past her but was ready in case anything happened.”

The attacker stepped out in front of Orla and grabbed her two hands as a wrestle, and struggle for control, ensued between the two - the attacker trying to knock Orla into oncoming traffic and Orla trying to defend herself as best she could.

“As she grabbed me, I grabbed her two arms back almost as a natural reaction. She tried to trip me and push me out onto the road. Thankfully I was able to hold my balance and because I had a hold of her, I could bring us back onto the footpath.

“Where she tried to trip and knock me to the ground was at a loading bay so thankfully there was room to recover; otherwise, I would have been in the middle of the road and facing oncoming traffic and I would most definitely have been struck.

“It was such a bizarre moment. I was so in shock. She seemed like she was under the influence of something. She was trying to hit me and pull my hair but her body didn’t seem quick enough to be able to do what her mind wanted to do.”

The attack took an even more frightening turn after Orla eventually managed to wrestle the woman off her, warning her to stop.

“She thought the whole thing was hilarious. She was cackling hysterically to herself and as I tried to walk past her, she kept following me laughing and saying “stop what” - she wanted a brawl.

“I tried to cross the road and she kept trying to follow me. I needed to go to town that day too but in the end I thought the best option was to go home out of fear of what she might do. Thankfully she didn’t follow me back.”

Orla said she contacted Mill Street Garda Station and after describing the attacker to the officer, alarm bells immediately started ringing with the garda saying there had been previous reported incidents with that woman in question.

In order to meet for this interview, brave Orla said she wanted to return to the scene and walk through the area where her attack took place - not even a week since the scariest ordeal of her life.

“I wanted to make myself walk into town this morning and pass where the attack happened. The shock has finally worn off, even though my paranoia and anxiety are still so heightened while I’m out walking.

“But I also refuse to let anyone make me feel unsafe or intimidated in my home so I am happy I did it.”

Despite this, Orla acknowledged that there have been a lot more attacks in Galway in recent years, by mostly male but also female attackers and she says it’s an important conversation young women need to have especially while walking alone.

“Women are feeling a lot more anxious when walking around as it is, without anything even happening to them. It’s like you would almost want eyes on the back of your head.

“We’re all scared. Before I came across my attacker, there was a man walking the street and it was just me and him - even that raised my alert levels and it’s the same for any woman.

“I thought I would be safe once I got onto the main stretch of road in Bohermore but little did I know I was walking into the path of my attacker.

“I felt so safe walking around there, always. When I was walking in today I didn’t see my attacker but that road will always remind me of her now whether she’s there or not.”

Again, that’s not going to hold Orla back not just in her future endeavours but in the immediate ones either.

“I’ll be heading to town tomorrow and I’ll be walking in by that road again. I won’t let it stop me from going about my daily routine.”

Last month, it was announced that an extra 13 gardai would patrol seven dedicated Galway city areas every day under a new policing plan cracking down on public order offences, anti-social behaviour, drug dealing, aggressive begging and shoplifting.

While this is a start, Orla feels it still only scratches the surface in an ongoing battle to make the city safer.

“One of my friends has lived in Galway city her whole life and she was so angry when she heard it because even with the new policing plan, it’s secluded areas like that where a garda presence is needed the most.

“I was lucky I had my car parked at the nearby gym and was able to go back to it because if I wasn’t from the area, I don’t know where I would have gone.”

Orla has issued a formal statement to the guards who are currently investigating the incident and appealing to witnesses to come forward.