THOUSANDS CHEER SPIRIT OF OMAGH
Thousands cheer spirit of Omagh
By Enda McOafferty
SMILES and laughter returned to the shattered streets of Omagh as the town was given a massive injection of Christmas cheer.
Up to 10,000 people packed into the town centre last night to watch country star Daniel O'Donnell switch on the Christmas lights.
And with the flick of a switch, the town took another step back to normality following the horror of the August 15 bomb, which left 29 people dead and more than 200 injured.
But one smiling face in the crowd said more about the spirit of Omagh than any other.
Claire Gallagher, who was blinded in the bombing, sent out a defiant message to the bombers as she danced and sang.
Clutching her boyfriend's arm, she expressed her surprise and delight at the huge turnout.
"It is a great night and I am just glad to be here," she said.
Her words were echoed by the compere for the evening Pio McCann, whose daughter Diane suffered severe spinal injuries in the blast.
"We never expected anything like this - the crowd is brilliant and this is exactly the type of tonic and boost that Omagh needs right now,' he said.
Last night's glittering ceremony complete with all-star cast and spectacular laser show marked the beginning of a month long celebration in the run up to Christmas.
The theme of the festival is Out of the Darkness and into the Light.
But for many last night that journey was still to painful to even contemplate.
For as school children danced and sang at the top of Market Street many others stood in silence not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
The pain and grief which had brought thousands of people to the same spot a week after the bombing was still very much in evidence.
Many stood in tears as they remembered the full horror of the blast, which happened just a few hundreds yards away.
Local priest Fr Kevin Mullan who comforted many of the bereaved and injured, fought hard to contain his emotions.
"Tears are never very far away on a night like this and as I listened to Dolores Keane sing Silent Night I found myself staring into the sky trying to find the faces of the dead," he said.
"I felt that they were with us and in their own way were encouraging us to try and recover the joy of life and not let down the new generation."
And he added that he hoped the ceremony could also help flick the switch that would bring permanent peace to Northern Ireland.
"There are people here who have no limbs and who cannot see and they should act as an inspiration to drive on our political leaders in their search for lasting peace," he said.
"This is a human cry tonight to the rest of Ireland that we have to break through all that divides us to try and recover the joy of life."
The star of the show Daniel O'Donnell told the crowd that they should not be ashamed to laugh.
"I know that it will be easy to feel guilty by laughing this Christmas but nobody on this earth can deny your right to happiness because you deserve it more than anybody," he said.
The Omagh Community Youth choir also performed the title track of the new Omagh CD Across the Bridge of Hope.
By Enda McOafferty
SMILES and laughter returned to the shattered streets of Omagh as the town was given a massive injection of Christmas cheer.
Up to 10,000 people packed into the town centre last night to watch country star Daniel O'Donnell switch on the Christmas lights.
And with the flick of a switch, the town took another step back to normality following the horror of the August 15 bomb, which left 29 people dead and more than 200 injured.
But one smiling face in the crowd said more about the spirit of Omagh than any other.
Claire Gallagher, who was blinded in the bombing, sent out a defiant message to the bombers as she danced and sang.
Clutching her boyfriend's arm, she expressed her surprise and delight at the huge turnout.
"It is a great night and I am just glad to be here," she said.
Her words were echoed by the compere for the evening Pio McCann, whose daughter Diane suffered severe spinal injuries in the blast.
"We never expected anything like this - the crowd is brilliant and this is exactly the type of tonic and boost that Omagh needs right now,' he said.
Last night's glittering ceremony complete with all-star cast and spectacular laser show marked the beginning of a month long celebration in the run up to Christmas.
The theme of the festival is Out of the Darkness and into the Light.
But for many last night that journey was still to painful to even contemplate.
For as school children danced and sang at the top of Market Street many others stood in silence not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
The pain and grief which had brought thousands of people to the same spot a week after the bombing was still very much in evidence.
Many stood in tears as they remembered the full horror of the blast, which happened just a few hundreds yards away.
Local priest Fr Kevin Mullan who comforted many of the bereaved and injured, fought hard to contain his emotions.
"Tears are never very far away on a night like this and as I listened to Dolores Keane sing Silent Night I found myself staring into the sky trying to find the faces of the dead," he said.
"I felt that they were with us and in their own way were encouraging us to try and recover the joy of life and not let down the new generation."
And he added that he hoped the ceremony could also help flick the switch that would bring permanent peace to Northern Ireland.
"There are people here who have no limbs and who cannot see and they should act as an inspiration to drive on our political leaders in their search for lasting peace," he said.
"This is a human cry tonight to the rest of Ireland that we have to break through all that divides us to try and recover the joy of life."
The star of the show Daniel O'Donnell told the crowd that they should not be ashamed to laugh.
"I know that it will be easy to feel guilty by laughing this Christmas but nobody on this earth can deny your right to happiness because you deserve it more than anybody," he said.
The Omagh Community Youth choir also performed the title track of the new Omagh CD Across the Bridge of Hope.
Further Information
Publisher: BELFAST TELEGRAPH
Ref: BT/0522
Published Date: 27-Nov-98
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