OMAGH TALKS ON MEMORIAL ARE SHUNNED
Omagh talks on memorial are shunned
Relatives fear wording will 'airbrush' events from history
BY DAVID YOUNG
FAMILIES of the Omagh bomb victims will shun a meeting tonight that will reveal the proposed wording for a new memorial amid fears the true events are being airbrushed from history.
An independent panel tasked by Omagh District Council to examine the composition of an engraved plaque to those killed and injured in the 1998 dissident republican attack is to present its findings at a public meeting in the town.
Victims' families, who claim the Sinn Fein dominated council want to amend the phrase "dissident republican car bomb" on the memorial, say they have not been invited to the event and have no intention of going.
Twenty-nine people, including a woman who was pregnant with twins, died in the August 15 bombing.
Their spokesman, Michael Gallagher, who lost his son Aidan in the attack, said: "We only became aware of this meeting through the press. We've received no formal invite or notification that it was even taking place. Obviously we are not wanted.
"This is typical of the way victims have been treated in this issue, very disrespectfully."
A tribute stone that bore the original unamended plaque was removed from a temporary remembrance garden last year to allow work to begin on a new permanent memorial ahead of this year's 10th anniversary commemorations.
The families welcomed plans for a symbolic glass obelisk at the site of the explosion, but fear the plaque will never be returned.
Last year the council appointed a facilitation panel' headed by former Presbyterian moderator Dr John Dunlop in an effort to find an agreed form of words.
Mr Gallagher said he was not hopeful the inscription would remain as it was.
"We feel that it (the recommendations of the panel) probably won't be in line with what we think should be on the stone," he said
"But it's hard to judge before they've delivered their findings.
"Either way we have taken the decision that we will have a service on the tenth anniversary as we feel the truth should be told about what happened that day and we will continue to endeavour to ensure that it is.
"Nobody has actually come out and said they have a problem with the wording, but the fact a panel was appointed suggests someone obviously had a problem."
The other two members of the independent facilitation team are Catholic priest Father Brian Lennon and Olive Hobson, a peace-builder from the Quaker House in Belfast.
A spokeswoman for Omagh Council said tonight's meeting is open to all members of the public and added that it was not council protocol to send out invitations to such events.
Relatives fear wording will 'airbrush' events from history
BY DAVID YOUNG
FAMILIES of the Omagh bomb victims will shun a meeting tonight that will reveal the proposed wording for a new memorial amid fears the true events are being airbrushed from history.
An independent panel tasked by Omagh District Council to examine the composition of an engraved plaque to those killed and injured in the 1998 dissident republican attack is to present its findings at a public meeting in the town.
Victims' families, who claim the Sinn Fein dominated council want to amend the phrase "dissident republican car bomb" on the memorial, say they have not been invited to the event and have no intention of going.
Twenty-nine people, including a woman who was pregnant with twins, died in the August 15 bombing.
Their spokesman, Michael Gallagher, who lost his son Aidan in the attack, said: "We only became aware of this meeting through the press. We've received no formal invite or notification that it was even taking place. Obviously we are not wanted.
"This is typical of the way victims have been treated in this issue, very disrespectfully."
A tribute stone that bore the original unamended plaque was removed from a temporary remembrance garden last year to allow work to begin on a new permanent memorial ahead of this year's 10th anniversary commemorations.
The families welcomed plans for a symbolic glass obelisk at the site of the explosion, but fear the plaque will never be returned.
Last year the council appointed a facilitation panel' headed by former Presbyterian moderator Dr John Dunlop in an effort to find an agreed form of words.
Mr Gallagher said he was not hopeful the inscription would remain as it was.
"We feel that it (the recommendations of the panel) probably won't be in line with what we think should be on the stone," he said
"But it's hard to judge before they've delivered their findings.
"Either way we have taken the decision that we will have a service on the tenth anniversary as we feel the truth should be told about what happened that day and we will continue to endeavour to ensure that it is.
"Nobody has actually come out and said they have a problem with the wording, but the fact a panel was appointed suggests someone obviously had a problem."
The other two members of the independent facilitation team are Catholic priest Father Brian Lennon and Olive Hobson, a peace-builder from the Quaker House in Belfast.
A spokeswoman for Omagh Council said tonight's meeting is open to all members of the public and added that it was not council protocol to send out invitations to such events.
Further Information
Publisher: BELFAST TELEGRAPH
Ref: BT/1068
Published Date: 06-Mar-08
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