THE LAST MINUTES
High Street, Omagh, Saturday afternoon,
By Enda McClaffferty
THIS picture was taken just minutes before the worst terrorist act to befall Northern Ireland. A young Spanish tourist, one of the less seriously injured, recorded the scene in the crowded town centre, as people calmly and unwittingly obeyed instructions to move to what they believed was safety. Shoppers and visitors, men. women and children are seen hurrying down the pavement away from the area of the Court House where a misleading terrorist warning had placed the bomb. A woman carrying a newly-purchased bunch of flowers, crosses the High Street.
In its simplicity, this holiday snapshot taken by a visitor to Ulster, two of whose young colleagues died in the blast, underpins the barbarity that took place.
Less than a hundred yards further along the street, a red Vauxhall Cavalier packed with explosives, was parked with cargo of death ready to explode... Saturday afternoon in Omagh: a terrifying moment in time that would shock world.
By Enda McClaffferty
THIS picture was taken just minutes before the worst terrorist act to befall Northern Ireland. A young Spanish tourist, one of the less seriously injured, recorded the scene in the crowded town centre, as people calmly and unwittingly obeyed instructions to move to what they believed was safety. Shoppers and visitors, men. women and children are seen hurrying down the pavement away from the area of the Court House where a misleading terrorist warning had placed the bomb. A woman carrying a newly-purchased bunch of flowers, crosses the High Street.
In its simplicity, this holiday snapshot taken by a visitor to Ulster, two of whose young colleagues died in the blast, underpins the barbarity that took place.
Less than a hundred yards further along the street, a red Vauxhall Cavalier packed with explosives, was parked with cargo of death ready to explode... Saturday afternoon in Omagh: a terrifying moment in time that would shock world.
Further Information
Publisher: BELFAST TELEGRAPH
Ref: BT/0613
Published Date: 18-Aug-98
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