MOTHERS' TRIBUTE AS TOWN TRIES TO RECOVER
Mothers' tribute as a town tries to recover
Life must go on but 29 will never be forgotten
One month on from the horror of the Omagh blast, KATHRYN TORNEY reports on the struggle to return to normality
THE mothers of two schoolgirls murdered in the Omagh bombing are to honour their memories by taking on voluntary work in Oxfam.
Samantha McFarland (17) and her friend Lorraine Wilson (15), who worked on Saturdays in the town centre charity shop, died in the bomb one month ago today.
Their mothers have decided that they will take on their daughters' shift as a tribute to them.
This is just one of the ways that the people of Omagh are trying to recover from the devastation caused by the bombing and recent bomb scares in the town.
Yesterday afternoon the town centre was full of people, including a busker, shoppers and schoolchildren, all determined their lives will not be ruined.
However, memories of a month ago can be revived by a simple glance down Market Street where the car bomb was placed.
Twisted metal and bricks arc all that remain of some shop fronts. Others have reopened, despite their windows being boarded up or, in the case of one dry cleaners, having no windows at all.
Posters asking for help in tracing the movements of the car used in the bomb remain in some shop windows.
A single wreath lies close to the spot where the bomb went off and where most of the deceased lost their lives.
Other flowers adorn the metal railings which block off this part of the street.
On the nearby bridge a long row of flowers line the wall, along with teddy bears, poems and cards of sympathy.
One message reads: "To live in hearts we leave is not to die."
An elderly couple talk in the street about the cold weather, a common subject in any town in Ulster.
Close by, a young boy goes past in a wheelchair, acting as a poignant reminder of the injuries suffered by others in the bomb.
The message being given is that life must go on, but also that the 29 people who died following the blast will never be forgotten.
Nowhere is this more apparent than in the Oxfam shop where two members of staff lost their life and one was bereaved.
Sympathy cards and three books of condolences include messages from as far as Canada and a card from the bereaved parents in Dunblane.
Volunteer shop manager Mabel Kennedy said: "I think it is a nice idea that Samantha and Lorraine's mothers are going to work here as I feel it carries on what they would have wanted. The two girls brightened up the shop when they were here.
"We still have people coming in to the shop to shake our hands.
"I think the mood has picked up a little in the town. People had been feeling guilty even to smile."
Life must go on but 29 will never be forgotten
One month on from the horror of the Omagh blast, KATHRYN TORNEY reports on the struggle to return to normality
THE mothers of two schoolgirls murdered in the Omagh bombing are to honour their memories by taking on voluntary work in Oxfam.
Samantha McFarland (17) and her friend Lorraine Wilson (15), who worked on Saturdays in the town centre charity shop, died in the bomb one month ago today.
Their mothers have decided that they will take on their daughters' shift as a tribute to them.
This is just one of the ways that the people of Omagh are trying to recover from the devastation caused by the bombing and recent bomb scares in the town.
Yesterday afternoon the town centre was full of people, including a busker, shoppers and schoolchildren, all determined their lives will not be ruined.
However, memories of a month ago can be revived by a simple glance down Market Street where the car bomb was placed.
Twisted metal and bricks arc all that remain of some shop fronts. Others have reopened, despite their windows being boarded up or, in the case of one dry cleaners, having no windows at all.
Posters asking for help in tracing the movements of the car used in the bomb remain in some shop windows.
A single wreath lies close to the spot where the bomb went off and where most of the deceased lost their lives.
Other flowers adorn the metal railings which block off this part of the street.
On the nearby bridge a long row of flowers line the wall, along with teddy bears, poems and cards of sympathy.
One message reads: "To live in hearts we leave is not to die."
An elderly couple talk in the street about the cold weather, a common subject in any town in Ulster.
Close by, a young boy goes past in a wheelchair, acting as a poignant reminder of the injuries suffered by others in the bomb.
The message being given is that life must go on, but also that the 29 people who died following the blast will never be forgotten.
Nowhere is this more apparent than in the Oxfam shop where two members of staff lost their life and one was bereaved.
Sympathy cards and three books of condolences include messages from as far as Canada and a card from the bereaved parents in Dunblane.
Volunteer shop manager Mabel Kennedy said: "I think it is a nice idea that Samantha and Lorraine's mothers are going to work here as I feel it carries on what they would have wanted. The two girls brightened up the shop when they were here.
"We still have people coming in to the shop to shake our hands.
"I think the mood has picked up a little in the town. People had been feeling guilty even to smile."
Further Information
Publisher: BELFAST TELEGRAPH
Ref: BT/0411
Published Date: 15-Sep-98
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