OMAGH VICTIM'S SCHOOL AWARD
Omagh victim's school award
By Kathryn Torney,
Education Correspondent
Speech night honours teenager
A POIGNANT tribute has been paid to Alan Radford - one of the youngest victims of the Omagh bombing.
Claire Radford (15) was presented with her brother's GCSE certificate at his Omagh High School's annual speech night. Alan, who was one of the 29 people killed in the Real IRA outrage, was due to receive his examination results the day before his funeral took place.
The 16-year-old was helping his mother Marion do the weekly shopping when the bomb went off in the busy shopping town last August. She suffered shrapnel wounds, but was not seriously hurt.
She lay nearby shouting her son's name, unaware that he was lying dead around the corner.
His family had to wait an agonising 24 hours before they heard that Alan had died.
He was one of the last victims to be identified and it was 10am the next day before a friend broke the news to the family.
At the speech night, the headmaster William Harper said it had been a very traumatic year for the school.
Mr Harper, said the evening was about celebrating success, but added that it was also tinged with sadness following the events in August.
He said: "'We are still overwhelmed by the loss of our pupils and former pupils, but in our memories they will always be youthful.
"My thoughts are with the relatives and friends who have lost loved ones and I would wish to assure them that our grief and our memories will not fade."
Another pupil Lorraine Wilson, was also killed in the blast, as were former pupils Esther Gibson. Debra-Ann Cartwright and Samantha McFarland.
Three mothers of pupils at the school also died in the blast.
By Kathryn Torney,
Education Correspondent
Speech night honours teenager
A POIGNANT tribute has been paid to Alan Radford - one of the youngest victims of the Omagh bombing.
Claire Radford (15) was presented with her brother's GCSE certificate at his Omagh High School's annual speech night. Alan, who was one of the 29 people killed in the Real IRA outrage, was due to receive his examination results the day before his funeral took place.
The 16-year-old was helping his mother Marion do the weekly shopping when the bomb went off in the busy shopping town last August. She suffered shrapnel wounds, but was not seriously hurt.
She lay nearby shouting her son's name, unaware that he was lying dead around the corner.
His family had to wait an agonising 24 hours before they heard that Alan had died.
He was one of the last victims to be identified and it was 10am the next day before a friend broke the news to the family.
At the speech night, the headmaster William Harper said it had been a very traumatic year for the school.
Mr Harper, said the evening was about celebrating success, but added that it was also tinged with sadness following the events in August.
He said: "'We are still overwhelmed by the loss of our pupils and former pupils, but in our memories they will always be youthful.
"My thoughts are with the relatives and friends who have lost loved ones and I would wish to assure them that our grief and our memories will not fade."
Another pupil Lorraine Wilson, was also killed in the blast, as were former pupils Esther Gibson. Debra-Ann Cartwright and Samantha McFarland.
Three mothers of pupils at the school also died in the blast.
Further Information
Publisher: BELFAST TELEGRAPH
Ref: BT/0697
Published Date: 05-Feb-99
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