DOES ANYONE KNOW WHERE THE LOVE OF GOD GOES AT A TIME LIKE THIS
Does anyone know where the love of God goes at a time like this?'
By EUGENE MOLONEY in Omagh
RAIN, wind and tears swept through this grief-engulfed town yesterday as funeral followed upon funeral and the high street became a place where only mourners thread. It was the final day of burying the dead. Eight funerals between 10am and 3pm, bringing to 28 people the total buried in the past three days. It was as though on this last public day of mourning the sorrow was tightening its grip on this physically and emotionally scared and wounded town. But through the misery and despair of death there shone one ray of hope.
A young couple had arranged their wedding 18 months ago. What they did not realise at the time was that what was to have been a day of joy for their families would on this fateful Thursday take place just yards from where one of the victims was to be buried in Sixmilecross.
They had considered calling it off but their minister told them not to be afraid.
The Reverend William Deveral said there was nothing wrong in anyway in the wedding going ahead. What was wrong, he said, had been the hateful murder in Omagh which had separated so many families and left them without their loved ones forever.
He said God would rejoice at the joy this public sign of love would bring in a town which in the past week has seen so much sorrow.
The wedding party later held a reception in a local hotel, but there was no music or dancing out of respect for those who had died.
Elsewhere in Omagh the outpourings of grief continued.
At the picturesque 136-year-old Church of Ireland church of Lislimnaghan just outside the town, visiting Canon Rev John Hay from the nearby parish of Fintona was unable to hold back tears. He had come to take part in the funeral of 17-year-old Samantha McFarland killed with her friend Lorraine Wilson in the blast.
Outside the church a number of reporters could be seen shedding silent tears and one cameraman told later how he had been unable to take photographs because of his crying.
Less than an hour later, at the Methodist church in Omagh, Rev David Kerr, President of the Methodist Church, wept as he delivered an address. He was speaking at the funeral of 21-year-old Julia Hughes.
He told the congregation how he was struggling with the question: "Where is a loving God in the midst of so much suffering?''
Earlier at Samantha's funeral, Rector Rev Derek Quinn spoke of the fun-loving, caring schoolgirl who on the day she died was working as a volunteer in an Oxfam shop, giving of her time to help the people of the Third World.
About 200 people filled the church at Samantha's funeral while outside hundreds more, many of them Julia's schoolmates, listened. And when the tears came no-one tried to hide them.
The funeral of Geraldine Breslin (43), from Drumquin, took place at the Sacred Heart Church at 10am. Across the road in St Columba's Church of Ireland church mourners were attending the funeral service of Deborah Cartwight (20), of Birchwood, Omagh, and in yet another church, the Methodist Church on the other side of the road about an hour later the funeral of Julia Hughes was taking place.
Mrs Breslin was a friend of Ann McCombe (49), of Summerhill Park, Omagh, who worked alongside her at Wattersons Outfitters in the town and who also died in the blast. The funeral of Ann McCombe took place later at Mountjoy Presbyterian Church in Omagh.
Brian McRory (54), of Ballinamullan Road, was buried following noon Mass at St Mary's Church in Killyclogher. He died while in town to buy paint to decorate his home.
Elizabeth Rush (51), of Michael Street, Omagh, was another whose funeral service took place yesterday. The 2pm service was at St Mary's Church, Drumragh. The mother-of-three was working in her pine furniture shop when the bomb exploded.
Her husband Lawrence told how they had met when they were 15 and were married by the time they were 18. "I keep expecting her to walk down the path and into the house. I can forget for a second and think she's just out shopping and then it all comes flooding back.''
Esther Gibson of Radergan Road, Beragh, was due to be married next year. Her funeral service took place at Sixmilecross Free Presbyterian Church.
The black of mourning was the dominant colour in Omagh. Rain swept down the high street and mingled with falling tears. Bunches of flowers continued to pile up at Wattersons Outfitters where Geraldine Breslin, Ann McCombe and Veda Short, who was buried on Wednesday, all worked. For the fifth day in a row shops remained shut.
By EUGENE MOLONEY in Omagh
RAIN, wind and tears swept through this grief-engulfed town yesterday as funeral followed upon funeral and the high street became a place where only mourners thread. It was the final day of burying the dead. Eight funerals between 10am and 3pm, bringing to 28 people the total buried in the past three days. It was as though on this last public day of mourning the sorrow was tightening its grip on this physically and emotionally scared and wounded town. But through the misery and despair of death there shone one ray of hope.
A young couple had arranged their wedding 18 months ago. What they did not realise at the time was that what was to have been a day of joy for their families would on this fateful Thursday take place just yards from where one of the victims was to be buried in Sixmilecross.
They had considered calling it off but their minister told them not to be afraid.
The Reverend William Deveral said there was nothing wrong in anyway in the wedding going ahead. What was wrong, he said, had been the hateful murder in Omagh which had separated so many families and left them without their loved ones forever.
He said God would rejoice at the joy this public sign of love would bring in a town which in the past week has seen so much sorrow.
The wedding party later held a reception in a local hotel, but there was no music or dancing out of respect for those who had died.
Elsewhere in Omagh the outpourings of grief continued.
At the picturesque 136-year-old Church of Ireland church of Lislimnaghan just outside the town, visiting Canon Rev John Hay from the nearby parish of Fintona was unable to hold back tears. He had come to take part in the funeral of 17-year-old Samantha McFarland killed with her friend Lorraine Wilson in the blast.
Outside the church a number of reporters could be seen shedding silent tears and one cameraman told later how he had been unable to take photographs because of his crying.
Less than an hour later, at the Methodist church in Omagh, Rev David Kerr, President of the Methodist Church, wept as he delivered an address. He was speaking at the funeral of 21-year-old Julia Hughes.
He told the congregation how he was struggling with the question: "Where is a loving God in the midst of so much suffering?''
Earlier at Samantha's funeral, Rector Rev Derek Quinn spoke of the fun-loving, caring schoolgirl who on the day she died was working as a volunteer in an Oxfam shop, giving of her time to help the people of the Third World.
About 200 people filled the church at Samantha's funeral while outside hundreds more, many of them Julia's schoolmates, listened. And when the tears came no-one tried to hide them.
The funeral of Geraldine Breslin (43), from Drumquin, took place at the Sacred Heart Church at 10am. Across the road in St Columba's Church of Ireland church mourners were attending the funeral service of Deborah Cartwight (20), of Birchwood, Omagh, and in yet another church, the Methodist Church on the other side of the road about an hour later the funeral of Julia Hughes was taking place.
Mrs Breslin was a friend of Ann McCombe (49), of Summerhill Park, Omagh, who worked alongside her at Wattersons Outfitters in the town and who also died in the blast. The funeral of Ann McCombe took place later at Mountjoy Presbyterian Church in Omagh.
Brian McRory (54), of Ballinamullan Road, was buried following noon Mass at St Mary's Church in Killyclogher. He died while in town to buy paint to decorate his home.
Elizabeth Rush (51), of Michael Street, Omagh, was another whose funeral service took place yesterday. The 2pm service was at St Mary's Church, Drumragh. The mother-of-three was working in her pine furniture shop when the bomb exploded.
Her husband Lawrence told how they had met when they were 15 and were married by the time they were 18. "I keep expecting her to walk down the path and into the house. I can forget for a second and think she's just out shopping and then it all comes flooding back.''
Esther Gibson of Radergan Road, Beragh, was due to be married next year. Her funeral service took place at Sixmilecross Free Presbyterian Church.
The black of mourning was the dominant colour in Omagh. Rain swept down the high street and mingled with falling tears. Bunches of flowers continued to pile up at Wattersons Outfitters where Geraldine Breslin, Ann McCombe and Veda Short, who was buried on Wednesday, all worked. For the fifth day in a row shops remained shut.
Further Information
Publisher: IRISH INDEPENDENT
Ref: II/080
Published Date: 21-Aug-98
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