Ciaran Cassidy

Ciaran Cassidy, 22-year-old shop assistant from Finsbury Park, London, was a happy-go-lucky Arsenal fan from a close Irish-Catholic family.

On 7 July 2005 (often called 7/7), four Islamist suicide bombers carried out coordinated attacks on London’s public transport during the morning rush hour.

Three bombs exploded almost simultaneously around 8:50 a.m. on Underground trains: one on a Circle Line train between Liverpool Street and Aldgate, one on another Circle Line train near Edgware Road, and one on a Piccadilly Line train between King’s Cross and Russell Square. About an hour later, at 9:47 a.m., the fourth bomb detonated on the upper deck of a No. 30 double-decker bus in Tavistock Square. The homemade peroxide-based devices were carried in backpacks.

The ringleader was Mohammad Sidique Khan, a British-born man of Pakistani descent from Leeds who worked as a learning mentor. He was the oldest and most senior of the group; the other bombers were Shehzad Tawnier, Germaine Lindsay, and Hasib Hussain. All four died in the explosions they triggered.

52 innocent people (of 18 nationalities) were killed, plus the four bombers themselves, for a total of 56 deaths.

Nearly 784 people were injured, many with severe blast and burn wounds.

Ciaran died in the Piccadilly Line blast.

His mother said “Ciaran was a happy, smiling, friendly boy… no hate in him.”

Rest in peace Ciaran. You will not be forgotten.