NEWLYWEDS Sandy Smith and Mark Blackwell celebrated a dream end to a nightmare year as they married in Lancaster last week.

Mark, 31, proposed to Sandy as she recovered from horrific injuries she sustained in the Omagh bombing last year.

The fairytale ending barely looked possible as Sandy, 23 suffered in a Northern Ireland hospital, but Mark took the first flight to the province and went down on one knee by her bedside

The groom, a Lancaster lad, had rushed to be with Sandy's in hospital only hours after hearing about the bombing, which claimed the lives of 29 people.

Sandy, had been shopping only 100 yards from the centre of the explosion.

She was unable to walk unaided throughout the last year but she walked down the aisle on her own to be given away by her father at Lancaster's Free Methodist Church on Friday.

Mark's father is pastor Fred Blackwell of Lancaster Free Methodist Church.

He has gone on record to say that his son and daughter-in-law's faith has helped them cope with the tragedy.

Pastor Blackwell performed last Friday's ceremony, which took place amid massive interest from the national media. Exclusive rights for the marriage ceremony were sold to a society magazine.

Sandy's continuing illness means the pair are reluctant to give press interviews but Sandy is reported as saying "It shows love can conquer evil."

The wedding took place against a background of frantic negotiation in the province, where a deadline for a new peace agreement expired last night.

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