Lisa Owen's son Madison died, along with his father Jackie Bothwell (37) and his grandmother Helen McCoubrey, on November 20, 2006, after a fire burnt itself out at their Edenbrook Close home. At the time, it was one of the worst house fire tragedies in the province.

The bodies of the three generations lay undiscovered for several hours because there were no obvious signs a fire had broken out.

No smoke or flames escaped from the west Belfast bungalow. Instead a small fire smouldered in the front bedroom over several hours, creating a toxic environment which engulfed the home. All three died from smoke inhalation.

For the 29-year-old mother-of-three, Monday's events have stirred up a lot of painful memories, ones she is sure the McElhill and McGovern families will be experiencing.

"I feel for that family," she explained. "I know what it is like to lose someone like that.

"Even though my circumstances were different, I want to express my deepest sympathy to the families. I lost a son that day and the Bothwells lost a mother and brother."

She added: "I also feel for the neighbours, who tried to help and would have heard the screams, knowing they couldn't do anything about it. This is something that will stick with that community, they will never get over it."

'Getting over it' is also something Miss Owen has not been able to do. Tuesday will be a year since Madison died and her grief is still raw.

"Everyday is like living a nightmare," she said. "Some days are better than others."