THE GRANDAD WHO LOST THE WILL TO LIVE
The grandad who lost the will to live
On August 15, 1998, Adrian Gallagher went into Omagh to buy a pair of jeans. He never returned. MARTIN BREEN talks to Adrian's father Michael about life since the bomb.
TEN days after Omagh bomb victim Adrian Gallagher was buried, his grandfather lost his own will to live.
To the Gallagher family, he is one of the unknown victims from last August's Real IRA atrocity.
Pensioner John O'Connor couldn't cope with the fact he was still alive when his grandson, 60 years his junior, had been murdered.
Adrian had gone into Omagh on August 15 for the first time in eight months to buy a new pair of jeans and boots but never returned home.
His father Michael said today: "Adrian would have been 22 last October 2 and his grandfather would have been 82 but neither of them lived to celebrate their birthdays.
"My father-in-law died ten days after Adrian. He had looked into the coffin thinking it should have been him in it rather than his grandson.
"His death is just one of the many that has never been attributed to the Omagh bomb. There are others like him."
For the Gallagher family, August 15 is a date which must never be forgotten.
"It was a beautiful and warm day. It was a day where you felt so positive and wanted to do things," Michael said.
"I remember scanning the newspaper headlines about the boy in the iron mask, who had been injured in the Enniskillen atrocity, getting married.
"I thought it was nice his life was getting back to normal at last and little did I know that on that day my life would be changed forever."
He can vividly detail the last hour's of his young son's life and the last words Adrian uttered to his parents as he went into town with best friend Michael Barrett, who was badly burned in the bomb.
"I worked with Adrian at our garage and on the Saturday morning we were preparing a car. I came home at lunchtime to get something to eat. He told us he was going into town to get jeans and shoes," he said.
"He borrowed the family car because his own had to get fixed. The last words he said were 'I won't be long' but we never saw him again.
"This was just an hour before he was killed. I was back in the garage when I heard the explosion. I felt straight away there was something seriously wrong."
Even from that moment, Michael feared for Adrian's safety and began a frantic search for his son which ended at a temporary mortuary in Lisanelly army base.
He went to Tyrone County Hospital hoping that at worst Adrian had been injured but realised the enormity of the situation when he saw, helicopters landing.
"It was like Vietnam. I got very, very weak because I couldn't find him."
Speaking from his Circular Road home today, he said: "I spent the worst 14 hours of my life there. After identifying Adrian I had to go home to tell my wife and two daughters but they knew when I walked through the door he wasn't coming back."
Asked what he feels about the people who killed his son and 28 others on August 15, Adrian's father replied: "On one level I feel that wherever these people are they are in a prison of their own mind knowing what they done.
"They should be brought to justice for what they did. It will probably be a part of our grieving process to see them convicted."
For Michael and Patricia Gallagher they feel robbed of the chance to watch their only son get married and have children of his own.
But Michael pointed out: "We still have a bit of Adrian with us. I find it hard to work at the garage as Adrian worked with me but I find tools and things every day which he worked with which all have their own memories for me.
"My wife Patricia has kept his bedroom the exact same as he left it when he went into the town on August 15 and in a way there's still his smell in it."
On August 15, 1998, Adrian Gallagher went into Omagh to buy a pair of jeans. He never returned. MARTIN BREEN talks to Adrian's father Michael about life since the bomb.
TEN days after Omagh bomb victim Adrian Gallagher was buried, his grandfather lost his own will to live.
To the Gallagher family, he is one of the unknown victims from last August's Real IRA atrocity.
Pensioner John O'Connor couldn't cope with the fact he was still alive when his grandson, 60 years his junior, had been murdered.
Adrian had gone into Omagh on August 15 for the first time in eight months to buy a new pair of jeans and boots but never returned home.
His father Michael said today: "Adrian would have been 22 last October 2 and his grandfather would have been 82 but neither of them lived to celebrate their birthdays.
"My father-in-law died ten days after Adrian. He had looked into the coffin thinking it should have been him in it rather than his grandson.
"His death is just one of the many that has never been attributed to the Omagh bomb. There are others like him."
For the Gallagher family, August 15 is a date which must never be forgotten.
"It was a beautiful and warm day. It was a day where you felt so positive and wanted to do things," Michael said.
"I remember scanning the newspaper headlines about the boy in the iron mask, who had been injured in the Enniskillen atrocity, getting married.
"I thought it was nice his life was getting back to normal at last and little did I know that on that day my life would be changed forever."
He can vividly detail the last hour's of his young son's life and the last words Adrian uttered to his parents as he went into town with best friend Michael Barrett, who was badly burned in the bomb.
"I worked with Adrian at our garage and on the Saturday morning we were preparing a car. I came home at lunchtime to get something to eat. He told us he was going into town to get jeans and shoes," he said.
"He borrowed the family car because his own had to get fixed. The last words he said were 'I won't be long' but we never saw him again.
"This was just an hour before he was killed. I was back in the garage when I heard the explosion. I felt straight away there was something seriously wrong."
Even from that moment, Michael feared for Adrian's safety and began a frantic search for his son which ended at a temporary mortuary in Lisanelly army base.
He went to Tyrone County Hospital hoping that at worst Adrian had been injured but realised the enormity of the situation when he saw, helicopters landing.
"It was like Vietnam. I got very, very weak because I couldn't find him."
Speaking from his Circular Road home today, he said: "I spent the worst 14 hours of my life there. After identifying Adrian I had to go home to tell my wife and two daughters but they knew when I walked through the door he wasn't coming back."
Asked what he feels about the people who killed his son and 28 others on August 15, Adrian's father replied: "On one level I feel that wherever these people are they are in a prison of their own mind knowing what they done.
"They should be brought to justice for what they did. It will probably be a part of our grieving process to see them convicted."
For Michael and Patricia Gallagher they feel robbed of the chance to watch their only son get married and have children of his own.
But Michael pointed out: "We still have a bit of Adrian with us. I find it hard to work at the garage as Adrian worked with me but I find tools and things every day which he worked with which all have their own memories for me.
"My wife Patricia has kept his bedroom the exact same as he left it when he went into the town on August 15 and in a way there's still his smell in it."
Further Information
Publisher: BELFAST TELEGRAPH
Ref: BT/0586
Published Date: 13-Aug-99
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