REBUILDING BROKEN LIVES
Rebuilding broken lives
Next week sees the first anniversary of the Omagh bombing which killed 29 and left hundreds in hospital. Here SUZANNE RODGERS examines
how the town's schools have coped with the trauma faced by their staff and pupils
IN the aftermath of the Omagh bombing local schools provided a haven of normality for children traumatised by the loss or injury of classmates, family members and friends.
Faced daily with grieving and traumatised pupils, they attempted to provide stability and support.
That support still continues as schoolchildren injured in the bomb prepare to face the first anniversary.
Omagh Controlled High School bore a heavy weight of tragedy. Pupils Alan Radford and Lorraine Wilson were among the dead, together with past pupils Samantha McFarland, Debra Ann Cartwright and Esther Gibson.
A simple plaque to their memory has been erected in the school foyer, but upstairs the most tangible responses to the bomb can be seen.
Headmaster Bill Harper decided that his pupils might benefit from a school-based counselling service.
"One day in town I met the Secretary of State Mo Mowlam and I told her what I wanted to do.
"She said she thought it was a good idea so I followed it up and she was as good as her word. She allocated us some money and I identified a suitable room which was painted, carpeted, equipped with computers.
"It's a relaxing place for the children to come along and talk to the teacher in charge.
"I expected around 20 children to use the facility, but in fact we have had 80 - one in eight of the school's population."
Colm O'Neill, headmaster of Loreto Convent Grammar, knows only too well how hard it has been for his pupils to return to normality.
Classmates of Jolene Marlow still talk about the A level student, particularly as the anniversary approaches.
They have also provided extra support to Shauna Skelton, who lost her mother Philomena and to those injured in the bomb.
They include Claire Gallagher, blinded by shrapnel, who went on to complete her GCSEs.
Mr O'Neill said the course shown by injured students was an inspiration to everyone.
"The children have coped very well and giving support to injured classmates has been a comfort and an inspiration," he said.
Jim McBain, principal of Omagh Academy, said he aimed to make the school an oasis of normality for pupils - an anchor in a world shaken to the core by the bomb.
"The resilience and heart of shown by our children has been humbling in many ways," he said.
And he recalled a particularly poignant moment:
"One of our young fellows lost a leg, but now has an artificial limb. One day I was standing at the window watching some boys playing football.
"It was a fairly robust game with no quarter given and none asked - but all very sporting.
"They were laughing and shouting and that is when I noticed that right in the middle of them was the boy with the artificial leg.
"It really brought a lump do my throat, not only to see him doing so well, but also to see that his friends made absolutely no difference with him."
Next week sees the first anniversary of the Omagh bombing which killed 29 and left hundreds in hospital. Here SUZANNE RODGERS examines
how the town's schools have coped with the trauma faced by their staff and pupils
IN the aftermath of the Omagh bombing local schools provided a haven of normality for children traumatised by the loss or injury of classmates, family members and friends.
Faced daily with grieving and traumatised pupils, they attempted to provide stability and support.
That support still continues as schoolchildren injured in the bomb prepare to face the first anniversary.
Omagh Controlled High School bore a heavy weight of tragedy. Pupils Alan Radford and Lorraine Wilson were among the dead, together with past pupils Samantha McFarland, Debra Ann Cartwright and Esther Gibson.
A simple plaque to their memory has been erected in the school foyer, but upstairs the most tangible responses to the bomb can be seen.
Headmaster Bill Harper decided that his pupils might benefit from a school-based counselling service.
"One day in town I met the Secretary of State Mo Mowlam and I told her what I wanted to do.
"She said she thought it was a good idea so I followed it up and she was as good as her word. She allocated us some money and I identified a suitable room which was painted, carpeted, equipped with computers.
"It's a relaxing place for the children to come along and talk to the teacher in charge.
"I expected around 20 children to use the facility, but in fact we have had 80 - one in eight of the school's population."
Colm O'Neill, headmaster of Loreto Convent Grammar, knows only too well how hard it has been for his pupils to return to normality.
Classmates of Jolene Marlow still talk about the A level student, particularly as the anniversary approaches.
They have also provided extra support to Shauna Skelton, who lost her mother Philomena and to those injured in the bomb.
They include Claire Gallagher, blinded by shrapnel, who went on to complete her GCSEs.
Mr O'Neill said the course shown by injured students was an inspiration to everyone.
"The children have coped very well and giving support to injured classmates has been a comfort and an inspiration," he said.
Jim McBain, principal of Omagh Academy, said he aimed to make the school an oasis of normality for pupils - an anchor in a world shaken to the core by the bomb.
"The resilience and heart of shown by our children has been humbling in many ways," he said.
And he recalled a particularly poignant moment:
"One of our young fellows lost a leg, but now has an artificial limb. One day I was standing at the window watching some boys playing football.
"It was a fairly robust game with no quarter given and none asked - but all very sporting.
"They were laughing and shouting and that is when I noticed that right in the middle of them was the boy with the artificial leg.
"It really brought a lump do my throat, not only to see him doing so well, but also to see that his friends made absolutely no difference with him."
Further Information
Publisher: BELFAST TELEGRAPH
Ref: BT/0723
Published Date: 07-Aug-99
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