The Lord Mayor of Dublin is to personally nominate a nurse who saved a bus driver’s life for a National Bravery Award.

Ballinteer woman Aoife McGivney (24) said she was still shaken by the incident in which the driver had a heart attack and fell unconscious behind the wheel on Westmoreland Street in the capital on Monday.

Ms McGivney managed to get his foot off the accelerator to stop the bus, then she administered CPR before Garda Ciaran Harford, of Store Street, arrived to help.

Gda Harford last night told the Irish Independent that he was on duty at the GPO when he heard the call-out and went straight to the scene.

“When I came they had taken him out and he was on the pavement,” he said.

“The young girl was giving him CPR. She did an absolutely amazing job.

“I sent to try and get an AED [defibrillator]. She had already been there for a while and I saw she was getting tired so I gave her a hand.”

It is understood the driver, Martin Christie, from Finglas in Dublin, is recovering well in the Mater Hospital.

Mr Christie is a former Sinn Féin councillor who was elected in 2004 and served briefly on Fingal County Council.

It is understood that Dublin Bus drivers have organised a whip-around for the heroic nurse to thank her for saving their colleague, while Lord Mayor Nial Ring said he wants to invite her into the Mansion House and present her with a Mayor’s scroll.

Mr Ring added that he would be nominating Ms McGivney for a bravery award this year.

Speaking to the Irish Independent, Ms McGivney said she was overwhelmed by the messages of support she received since the incident.

“I’d appreciate seeing him [Mr Christie] but I was ringing the hospital and I don’t know if it’s appropriate or not, I want to make sure that he’s OK with it too.

“It’s not me trying to get loads of glory for it or anything, it’s nothing like that,” Ms McGivney said.

“It’s just to see him alive and well would mean so much to me after seeing what he went through and the trauma that he went through.

“He’s been through an awful lot so it’s not something I’d want to throw on him straight away.

“If he felt up for it, absolutely, but again it’s no pressure on my part. It’s all to do with him.”

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