A MOTHER WHO works as a carer described how she was shot 12 times in front of her children when she opened her front door in Dublin.

Catherine Delaney McCormack said to her attackers ‘Do you not think that’s enough?’ as she managed to shut the door on them.

Speaking on the Today with Sean O’Rourke Show on RTÉ Radio 1 – the 49-year-old spoke about her experience from June of 2008.

She described how on the night she was shot she was in bed about to fall asleep when she heard banging on the door.

“Two of the children were at the top of the stairs when I was coming down. I shouted I was coming as they were waking the children.

She was faced with a gunman who shot at her when she opened the door.

“I was constantly turning to the children to shout at them to get back because I was scared they would be hurt.

I was trying to push my way out of the view of the children so they wouldn’t see me. I was trying to move into a door that was on my left hand side.

“I had six [bullets] hit my left leg, two in my right, one hit my stomach – it actually hit the bowel. One in my hip and two in the back.”

The mother of nine said that in the months previous there were two other attacks on her home and property.

‘Four shots came through my front door in March 2008 and in May of that year a substance was poured over my car it was set alight.’

Medical Miracle 

She described how a consultant has since said to her:

You know Catherine you’re a medical miracle – when a hole goes into the bowel it keeps expanding until it erupts and he said when that happens you’re instantly dead. He said why yours didn’t – we don’t know.

“I was discharged from hospital after two weeks and a nurse called out to my house for two months after that to do my dressings.”

Catherine said she’s not happy with how gardaí dealt with the murder attempt. She said she gave them a name but that the person was never questioned.

I’m being made feel like a criminal whereas I have never done anything wrong.

She described how her nephew started calling her ‘dollar’ as she beat rapper 50 Cent in the Guinness World Book of records for being shot the most times – he was shot 9 times.

She was awarded carer of the year this year and added that she loves her work.

I have to go back to work, I’m the same as anybody else. I have bills to pay- I’d be homeless if I didn’t work.

Asked if she thinks this crime will be solved, she said:

“It’s as if the criminals in our society are being looked after while victims are being punished.”