SIXTEEN COFFINS IN VALE OF TEARS
Sixteen coffins in vale of tears
By DOMINIC CUNNINGHAM
THE country united yesterday in grief as 16 victims of the Omagh massacre were laid to rest.
Thousands attended funerals in Catholic and Protestant churches. Those buried included Anglicans, Catholics, Presbyterians and a Mormon. Among them were a Unionist party official and an official of the GAA.
The sorrow was almost overwhelming but, yet, there was hope in the vale of tears.
David Trimble and Gerry Adams came to join thousands remembering three young friends at the church of St Mary's in the seaside town of Buncrana. President Mary McAleese and the North's Deputy First Minister Seamus Mallon were among the mourners.
Victor Barker, whose son James died along with Oran Doherty and Sean McLaughlin, said after the boy's funeral he would rather see no more children being killed than the bombers punished.
Primate Dr Sean Brady told mourners at the funeral of grandmother Mary Grimes (65) that the experience must galvanise everyone to reject violence totally, once and for all.
At the funeral of Lorraine Wilson in Cappagh, Bishop James Mehaffey asked had those responsible lost all sense of distinction between good and evil.
Presbyterian Moderator Dr John Dickson who led mourners at the funeral of 56-year-old Veda Short said there were no words left to describe the horror and revulsion.
Twenty-one months old Breda Devine was buried after Requiem Mass in Donemanna. Her mother Tracey is still critically ill and unaware her baby is dead and buried.
By DOMINIC CUNNINGHAM
THE country united yesterday in grief as 16 victims of the Omagh massacre were laid to rest.
Thousands attended funerals in Catholic and Protestant churches. Those buried included Anglicans, Catholics, Presbyterians and a Mormon. Among them were a Unionist party official and an official of the GAA.
The sorrow was almost overwhelming but, yet, there was hope in the vale of tears.
David Trimble and Gerry Adams came to join thousands remembering three young friends at the church of St Mary's in the seaside town of Buncrana. President Mary McAleese and the North's Deputy First Minister Seamus Mallon were among the mourners.
Victor Barker, whose son James died along with Oran Doherty and Sean McLaughlin, said after the boy's funeral he would rather see no more children being killed than the bombers punished.
Primate Dr Sean Brady told mourners at the funeral of grandmother Mary Grimes (65) that the experience must galvanise everyone to reject violence totally, once and for all.
At the funeral of Lorraine Wilson in Cappagh, Bishop James Mehaffey asked had those responsible lost all sense of distinction between good and evil.
Presbyterian Moderator Dr John Dickson who led mourners at the funeral of 56-year-old Veda Short said there were no words left to describe the horror and revulsion.
Twenty-one months old Breda Devine was buried after Requiem Mass in Donemanna. Her mother Tracey is still critically ill and unaware her baby is dead and buried.
Further Information
Publisher: IRISH INDEPENDENT
Ref: II/055
Published Date: 20-Aug-98
Related Images
There have been no images archived for this article.