FAMILIES WHO WEEP FOR THE LOST CHILDREN
Oran looked back and smiled, and then he was gone'
By Edna McClafferty
"I LEFT him down for the bus and he was so excited that he jumped out of the car before saying goodbye. But he did look back at me and smiled the way he normally does. He had a beautiful smile and was such a happy and gifted child."'
This was the last sight Donna Maria Barker had of her 12-year-old son James.
The next time she saw him he was lying on a cold mortuary slab - one of 28 victims of the Omagh bomb.
James was one of three children from Buncrana in Donegal killed in the blast. Today, their families told how their lives have been shattered.
And they also spoke of the sense of shame and grief that two Spanish students should have died while visiting their country.
Sean McLaughlin (11), James Victor Barker (12) and Oran Doherty (8) were among the youngest of the 28 victims murdered in Saturday's explosion.
Their 11-year-old Spanish friend Fernando Blasco and exchange programme leader Rosio Adad Ramos were also killed. . A further 17 Spanish children are still being treated in hospital for their injuries.
Today the the families of the three Buncrana children were preparing to bring their remains home.
Before departing for Omagh they each told of the nightmare of the past two days.
Clutching her son James' Chelsea Football shirt, Donna Maria Barker said: "To see him lying there with half of his head gone and those beautiful green eyes looking out as if he was waiting for me was devastating. I never realised how green his eyes were. That image will stay with me for the rest of my life.
"They have taken away my baby, they have robbed him of his future and for what? I will never forgive the evil men who carried out this deed."
Like many others the Barker family had waited in vain for news of James. A photograph of him, unconscious and heavily bandaged, being
stretchered into hospital appeared in many newspapers.
His parents searched in vain for the photographer who might be able to tell them if their son was still alive. But then came the call to the hospital mortuary and the devastating sight of his dead body.
Mrs Barker told now the family only recently moved to Donegal from England to start a new life and, how James was due to start prep school in Belfast in the next few weeks.
"We thought we were coming to Ireland to have a peaceful life, we were all so excited about it, and now it has gone so horribly wrong," she said.
Just a few miles away across the seaside town in Knockalla Park the Doherty family were also struggling to come to terms with their loss.
Liza Doherty described her younger brother Oran as an angel and she recalled the last time she saw him alive.
"He was so excited about the trip, he was looking forward to it all week and before he left on Saturday he came into my room for sweets because he was a bad traveller," she said.
"He took two sweets and when I told him to take more he only took another two.
Any other child would have taken a handful but that was the kind of boy he was. So loving and gentle and very generous.
He was just an angel and we all miss him so much. We will never ever get over this."
Two doors up the street, scenes of grief and dismay were repeated at the home of the McLaughlin family.
Hundreds of friends and relatives poured into the estate to offer comfort and support to the families of the school pals.
Michael Doherty, uncle of Sean McLaughlin, described the horror of having to identify the youngsters body.
"I will never forget the feeling of walking through that door and seeing all the bodies laid out, it was a horrible sight," he said.
"I just hope that no man or woman ever has to go through the pain of identifying their loved one after such a devastating bomb."
Holding Sean's younger sister the uncle said the family have been totally gutted and can't understand why their precious child had to die in that way.
By Edna McClafferty
"I LEFT him down for the bus and he was so excited that he jumped out of the car before saying goodbye. But he did look back at me and smiled the way he normally does. He had a beautiful smile and was such a happy and gifted child."'
This was the last sight Donna Maria Barker had of her 12-year-old son James.
The next time she saw him he was lying on a cold mortuary slab - one of 28 victims of the Omagh bomb.
James was one of three children from Buncrana in Donegal killed in the blast. Today, their families told how their lives have been shattered.
And they also spoke of the sense of shame and grief that two Spanish students should have died while visiting their country.
Sean McLaughlin (11), James Victor Barker (12) and Oran Doherty (8) were among the youngest of the 28 victims murdered in Saturday's explosion.
Their 11-year-old Spanish friend Fernando Blasco and exchange programme leader Rosio Adad Ramos were also killed. . A further 17 Spanish children are still being treated in hospital for their injuries.
Today the the families of the three Buncrana children were preparing to bring their remains home.
Before departing for Omagh they each told of the nightmare of the past two days.
Clutching her son James' Chelsea Football shirt, Donna Maria Barker said: "To see him lying there with half of his head gone and those beautiful green eyes looking out as if he was waiting for me was devastating. I never realised how green his eyes were. That image will stay with me for the rest of my life.
"They have taken away my baby, they have robbed him of his future and for what? I will never forgive the evil men who carried out this deed."
Like many others the Barker family had waited in vain for news of James. A photograph of him, unconscious and heavily bandaged, being
stretchered into hospital appeared in many newspapers.
His parents searched in vain for the photographer who might be able to tell them if their son was still alive. But then came the call to the hospital mortuary and the devastating sight of his dead body.
Mrs Barker told now the family only recently moved to Donegal from England to start a new life and, how James was due to start prep school in Belfast in the next few weeks.
"We thought we were coming to Ireland to have a peaceful life, we were all so excited about it, and now it has gone so horribly wrong," she said.
Just a few miles away across the seaside town in Knockalla Park the Doherty family were also struggling to come to terms with their loss.
Liza Doherty described her younger brother Oran as an angel and she recalled the last time she saw him alive.
"He was so excited about the trip, he was looking forward to it all week and before he left on Saturday he came into my room for sweets because he was a bad traveller," she said.
"He took two sweets and when I told him to take more he only took another two.
Any other child would have taken a handful but that was the kind of boy he was. So loving and gentle and very generous.
He was just an angel and we all miss him so much. We will never ever get over this."
Two doors up the street, scenes of grief and dismay were repeated at the home of the McLaughlin family.
Hundreds of friends and relatives poured into the estate to offer comfort and support to the families of the school pals.
Michael Doherty, uncle of Sean McLaughlin, described the horror of having to identify the youngsters body.
"I will never forget the feeling of walking through that door and seeing all the bodies laid out, it was a horrible sight," he said.
"I just hope that no man or woman ever has to go through the pain of identifying their loved one after such a devastating bomb."
Holding Sean's younger sister the uncle said the family have been totally gutted and can't understand why their precious child had to die in that way.
Further Information
Publisher: BELFAST TELEGRAPH
Ref: BT/0002
Published Date: 17-Aug-98
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