THE LEGACY THE OMAGH OUTRAGE HAS LEFT IN SPAIN
The legacy the Omagh outrage has left in Spain
The deaths of Spanish student Fernando Blasco and his supervisor in the recent Omagh bombing has forced Spanish parents to rethink Ireland as a place for their children to visit and practise their English during the summer holidays.
BARBARA COLLINS, a frequent visitor to Spain, gauges public opinion about the atrocity and its implications for future student visits
IRELAND has traditionally been considered a more attractive option for Spaniards than England because it is felt that Irish people provide a better welcome due to their strong sense of family values.
Most Spanish children attend language academies after school in order to gain fluency in English which is considered essential for almost any career in Spain. These academies offer the option of summer camps to English-speaking countries such as England, Scotland and the United States but it is Ireland which is by far the most popular destination, providing the country with a not insignificant amount of tourist revenue annually.
The terrorist problem in Ireland has a Spanish equivalent in the form of ETA, the Basque group which has been responsible for over 800 deaths since 1976 when Spain became a democracy.
Most Spaniards see a clear similarity between the two groups and can easily identify with Irish people's desire for peace.
Pilar Martinez Tierno (36) from Soria in Northern Spain said: "For me, terrorism is something familiar, we know very well what it is because of the ETA problem. The Omagh bomb was not something which we couldn't identify with because the same thing could happen here. I don't trust the ETA ceasefire, I'm sure there is a hidden agenda behind it".
One Spanish television programme asked why children who had been sent to the Republic of Ireland had been taken on a day trip to the turbulent north.
"I saw a documentary on TV about that", said Ms Martinez, "but if you ask me it was more irresponsible to plant the bomb in the first place".
Ana Rabade Rodriguez (22) from Galicia, said: "I know some parents who were very frightened by the bomb in Omagh and I think that from now on, no children will be sent to Northern Ireland for their summer holidays.
"Parents would much rather send them to Dublin, safe in the knowledge that there will be no violence there. The Republic of Ireland is considered a modern, European cultured county and Irish people are renowned in Spain for their hospitality and for their similarity to the Spanish temperament. I think the south of Ireland will continue to be as popular as before but nobody would feel safe going anywhere near Belfast," she said.
Antonio Abella Mina from Logrono, father of two teenage children, had planned to send them to a summer camp in Enniskillen this summer with the local language academy but decided on a family holiday to Florida instead.
"At least I see people from Ireland speaking out against terrorism without fear. Thanks to the new Agreement people no longer feel intimidated. Here in Spain, during the first decade of democracy, we too felt uneasy about the demonstrating against terrorism but our lack of support has forced them to call a ceasefire. Maybe now our problems will be sorted out too" he said.
The director of the Big Ben Language Academy, Soria, Mrs Bethy Rodriguez said that she will not be able to continue offering an annual summer camp in Ireland to her pupils because parents have told her that they would not let their children come here.
"Although, they can sympathise with the situation, the death of Fernando Blasco, who has cousins here, has made them see Northern Ireland as a war zone.
"The Irish accent is considered to be superior to the English one in terms of clarity and diction but despite this advantage they will now opt for summer schools in England where they are sure there won't be any danger for their loved ones" she said.
The deaths of Spanish student Fernando Blasco and his supervisor in the recent Omagh bombing has forced Spanish parents to rethink Ireland as a place for their children to visit and practise their English during the summer holidays.
BARBARA COLLINS, a frequent visitor to Spain, gauges public opinion about the atrocity and its implications for future student visits
IRELAND has traditionally been considered a more attractive option for Spaniards than England because it is felt that Irish people provide a better welcome due to their strong sense of family values.
Most Spanish children attend language academies after school in order to gain fluency in English which is considered essential for almost any career in Spain. These academies offer the option of summer camps to English-speaking countries such as England, Scotland and the United States but it is Ireland which is by far the most popular destination, providing the country with a not insignificant amount of tourist revenue annually.
The terrorist problem in Ireland has a Spanish equivalent in the form of ETA, the Basque group which has been responsible for over 800 deaths since 1976 when Spain became a democracy.
Most Spaniards see a clear similarity between the two groups and can easily identify with Irish people's desire for peace.
Pilar Martinez Tierno (36) from Soria in Northern Spain said: "For me, terrorism is something familiar, we know very well what it is because of the ETA problem. The Omagh bomb was not something which we couldn't identify with because the same thing could happen here. I don't trust the ETA ceasefire, I'm sure there is a hidden agenda behind it".
One Spanish television programme asked why children who had been sent to the Republic of Ireland had been taken on a day trip to the turbulent north.
"I saw a documentary on TV about that", said Ms Martinez, "but if you ask me it was more irresponsible to plant the bomb in the first place".
Ana Rabade Rodriguez (22) from Galicia, said: "I know some parents who were very frightened by the bomb in Omagh and I think that from now on, no children will be sent to Northern Ireland for their summer holidays.
"Parents would much rather send them to Dublin, safe in the knowledge that there will be no violence there. The Republic of Ireland is considered a modern, European cultured county and Irish people are renowned in Spain for their hospitality and for their similarity to the Spanish temperament. I think the south of Ireland will continue to be as popular as before but nobody would feel safe going anywhere near Belfast," she said.
Antonio Abella Mina from Logrono, father of two teenage children, had planned to send them to a summer camp in Enniskillen this summer with the local language academy but decided on a family holiday to Florida instead.
"At least I see people from Ireland speaking out against terrorism without fear. Thanks to the new Agreement people no longer feel intimidated. Here in Spain, during the first decade of democracy, we too felt uneasy about the demonstrating against terrorism but our lack of support has forced them to call a ceasefire. Maybe now our problems will be sorted out too" he said.
The director of the Big Ben Language Academy, Soria, Mrs Bethy Rodriguez said that she will not be able to continue offering an annual summer camp in Ireland to her pupils because parents have told her that they would not let their children come here.
"Although, they can sympathise with the situation, the death of Fernando Blasco, who has cousins here, has made them see Northern Ireland as a war zone.
"The Irish accent is considered to be superior to the English one in terms of clarity and diction but despite this advantage they will now opt for summer schools in England where they are sure there won't be any danger for their loved ones" she said.
Further Information
Publisher: BELFAST TELEGRAPH
Ref: BT/0432
Published Date: 24-Sep-98
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