London-based management consultant Peter Dix (35), from Dublin, was among those who died in the Lockerbie bombing.
He had caught the flight to attend a pre-Christmas business meeting in New York.
His sister, Ms Pam Dix, who has not flown since her brother's death, watched the trial at a location in London which relayed proceedings live on TV for the families of those died. She said after yesterday's verdict: "I found it surprising that one should be guilty while the other was allowed to go free. The trial has turned up more questions than answers. What relatives want to know, and it has not been answered, is who decided that the plane should be bombed and what was the motivation behind the attack".
Mr Dix's American widow, Elizabeth, has returned to live in the US with their son Dermot (13), who was too young at the time of the bombing to remember his father.
Deaglan de Breadun adds: In the aftermath of the Lockerbie trial verdict, a motion to lift UN sanctions against Libya is expected to come before the Security Council in a matter of days. A Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman said the Irish position on any such motion would depend on the level of Libyan compliance with the terms laid down for the removal of sanctions.
As part of the process of assessment, Ireland's mission to the UN would be consulting with other members of the council. The facts of the case in relation to compliance would be the decisive factor and not any political consideration. "The focus in coming days will be to examine the extent to which Libya is in compliance," the spokesman said.
It is understood the key remaining issues in assessing Libyan compliance include its willingness to pay compensation to relatives of the victims of the bombing and the strength of its commitment to the renunciation of terrorism.