OMAGH VICTIMS TO GATHER FOR SERVICE
Omagh victims to gather for service
By Michael McHugh
OMAGH bomb victims are to mark the seventh anniversary of the largest single atrocity of the Troubles.
Bereaved relatives will gather on Sunday at the memorial in the town to those who died in the Real IRA blast in August 1998. They will hold an interdenominational religious service to be attended by Government Ministers from both sides of the border. Chairman of the Omagh Victims Support and Self-help group, Michael Gallagher, recently concluded legal proceedings in his unsuccessful battle for compensation and said this weekend would give cause for reflection.
"We are talking about this issue coming up to the seventh anniversary of the bomb and myself and my wife have not received one single penny of compensation," said the campaigner, whose son Aidan was killed in the blast.
"The impact in Omagh was phenomenal, almost every family in the town knew someone involved in the bomb. The whole area of compensation needs to be addressed.
"I was totally amazed at the speed at which London compensation was agreed, it was a lot quicker than in the case of Omagh."
Lord Rooker from the British Government and Minister for Education and Science, Mary Hanafin from the Irish Government will attend this weekend's service.
Mr Gallagher said there were pressing problems which still needed to be addressed by both Governments.
"After the blast I was walking in blood in the Tyrone County Hospital looking for my son and yet the Government was saying that they don't recognise the trauma which we have suffered," he said.
The lobbyist for the families said civil judgments had granted compensation to people who watched the Hillsborough disaster on television and said there needed to be parity of esteem given to victims here.
By Michael McHugh
OMAGH bomb victims are to mark the seventh anniversary of the largest single atrocity of the Troubles.
Bereaved relatives will gather on Sunday at the memorial in the town to those who died in the Real IRA blast in August 1998. They will hold an interdenominational religious service to be attended by Government Ministers from both sides of the border. Chairman of the Omagh Victims Support and Self-help group, Michael Gallagher, recently concluded legal proceedings in his unsuccessful battle for compensation and said this weekend would give cause for reflection.
"We are talking about this issue coming up to the seventh anniversary of the bomb and myself and my wife have not received one single penny of compensation," said the campaigner, whose son Aidan was killed in the blast.
"The impact in Omagh was phenomenal, almost every family in the town knew someone involved in the bomb. The whole area of compensation needs to be addressed.
"I was totally amazed at the speed at which London compensation was agreed, it was a lot quicker than in the case of Omagh."
Lord Rooker from the British Government and Minister for Education and Science, Mary Hanafin from the Irish Government will attend this weekend's service.
Mr Gallagher said there were pressing problems which still needed to be addressed by both Governments.
"After the blast I was walking in blood in the Tyrone County Hospital looking for my son and yet the Government was saying that they don't recognise the trauma which we have suffered," he said.
The lobbyist for the families said civil judgments had granted compensation to people who watched the Hillsborough disaster on television and said there needed to be parity of esteem given to victims here.
Further Information
Publisher: BELFAST TELEGRAPH
Ref: BT/0970
Published Date: 12-Aug-05
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