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RACE ACE EDDIE IN OMAGH BOOST
$100,000 gift helps families' fund top £1m
By Fiona Mcllwaine Biggins

THE fund set up by families of victims of the Omagh bomb are well on their way to reaching their target thanks to a $100,000 donation from Ulster Formula One star Eddie Irvine. Irish rock supergroup U2 also made a "significant undisclosed donation" recently which has helped boost the total. The two generous gestures have taken the Omagh Victims Legal Trust fund to over the film mark.
The trust fund group now has until August to raise a further £500,000 to finance its fight to sue the Real IRA for damages over the Omagh bombing. Michael Gallagher, spokesperson for the fund -who lost his son Aidan in the bomb - said today: "We are very encouraged to know that people who are in a position to donate are willing to give. "We would appeal to others in a similar position to consider donating to our fund.
"It is only through public donations such as these that we will be able to bring this case to court."
Irvine, from Conlig, Co Down, is currently in Monaco for this weekend's Grand Prix.
The Jaguar driver is understood to have made the donation privately earlier this month after flying into Dublin to throw a 21st birthday party for his American girlfriend Kathryn Rice.
Irvine has not forgotten the moment he heard of the bombing which killed 29 People and unborn twins in August, 1998.
He was preparing for the Hungarian Grand Prix when the news of the atrocity came through.
"It was Northern Ireland's September 11. It was horrendous when you think about how many people were killed," he said.
Using money raised in the campaign, the Omagh families have made legal history by issuing a writ for compensation against the Real IRA and five individuals.
With police unable to find enough evidence for other criminal prosecutions, the families of those killed have taken up the fight to bring an unprecedented civil action against the other suspected bombers. Earlier this year Sir Bob Geldof, former Secretary of State Peter Mandelson and First Minister David Trimble also joined forces to support the cause. Earlier this year Colm Murphy, the only person so far to face charges, was jailed for 14 years by a Dublin court for conspiring to commit the Omagh bombing.