TRAGIC TOWNS ARE TOGETHER IN GRIEF
Tragic towns are together in grief
'Littleton and Omagh can help each other'
By Martin Breen
TWO grief-stricken communities thousands of miles apart came face to face yesterday to share their pain.
A delegation from Littleton in Colorado, where 14 students and their teacher were gunned down in April, travelled to Omagh to meet victims of last August's atrocity in the Tyrone town.
Leading the US delegation was Colorado Governor Bill Owens who presented a cheque for 50,000 dollars to the Omagh Fund on behalf of the American Ireland Fund, of which he's a member.
But it was two men, Michael Gallagher and Nick Dominico, who really represented the suffering each community has had to endure.
For while Michael's son Adrian was killed in the Real IRA atrocity, a close friend of Nick's lost his teenage brother in the Columbine High School massacre.
Both felt yesterday's visit was important for them to share the hurt and the pain and to seek encouragement from each others
Mr Gallagher said: "It's getting difficult for us now as the anniversary approaches. We can understand what has gone on in their community. It's important that people who have faced tragedy come together.
"You can only really express your sympathy by shaking someone's hand rather than with a letter. These visits show people haven't forgotten and still care."
Nick, who had been travelling Ireland with his university class and decided to go to Omagh, fully agreed.
"It's nice to show our support. More attention has to be paid to these tragedies. They can't be ignored," he said.
During a 15-minute meeting with Governor Owens, a number of relatives of those killed in the Omagh explosion urged him to use his influence to ensure the American Ireland Fund provides donations to victims of the Troubles.
Mr Owens, who describes himself as three-quarters Irish, also helped to plant a tree to mark the occasion in the grounds of the Omagh Fund's headquarters at Lisnamallard House.
Joining the governor was the Duke of Abercorn who is a trustee of the Omagh Fund and Lord Lieutenant of Tyrone.
"Since our arrival here we have been treated like brothers and sisters. Our main purpose here is to try to bring together some of the grief and pain we have felt in Colorado and that has been felt here in Omagh and to learn from it," Governor Owens said.
"I think there are a lot of similarities between what the people of Littleton and those in Omagh have gone through."
'Littleton and Omagh can help each other'
By Martin Breen
TWO grief-stricken communities thousands of miles apart came face to face yesterday to share their pain.
A delegation from Littleton in Colorado, where 14 students and their teacher were gunned down in April, travelled to Omagh to meet victims of last August's atrocity in the Tyrone town.
Leading the US delegation was Colorado Governor Bill Owens who presented a cheque for 50,000 dollars to the Omagh Fund on behalf of the American Ireland Fund, of which he's a member.
But it was two men, Michael Gallagher and Nick Dominico, who really represented the suffering each community has had to endure.
For while Michael's son Adrian was killed in the Real IRA atrocity, a close friend of Nick's lost his teenage brother in the Columbine High School massacre.
Both felt yesterday's visit was important for them to share the hurt and the pain and to seek encouragement from each others
Mr Gallagher said: "It's getting difficult for us now as the anniversary approaches. We can understand what has gone on in their community. It's important that people who have faced tragedy come together.
"You can only really express your sympathy by shaking someone's hand rather than with a letter. These visits show people haven't forgotten and still care."
Nick, who had been travelling Ireland with his university class and decided to go to Omagh, fully agreed.
"It's nice to show our support. More attention has to be paid to these tragedies. They can't be ignored," he said.
During a 15-minute meeting with Governor Owens, a number of relatives of those killed in the Omagh explosion urged him to use his influence to ensure the American Ireland Fund provides donations to victims of the Troubles.
Mr Owens, who describes himself as three-quarters Irish, also helped to plant a tree to mark the occasion in the grounds of the Omagh Fund's headquarters at Lisnamallard House.
Joining the governor was the Duke of Abercorn who is a trustee of the Omagh Fund and Lord Lieutenant of Tyrone.
"Since our arrival here we have been treated like brothers and sisters. Our main purpose here is to try to bring together some of the grief and pain we have felt in Colorado and that has been felt here in Omagh and to learn from it," Governor Owens said.
"I think there are a lot of similarities between what the people of Littleton and those in Omagh have gone through."
Further Information
Publisher: BELFAST TELEGRAPH
Ref: BT/0576
Published Date: 30-Jul-99
Related Images
