ONE SILENT MINUTE REACHING ETERNITY
One silent minute reaching eternity
By MICHAEL LAVERY
CITIES, towns and homes across Ireland fell silent at 3.10pm on Saturday as bells tolled and people observed a minute's silence for the victims of the Omagh bombing.
But it was in Omagh that a minute's silence stretched to eternity as up to 40,000 bowed their heads in shared grief with the families of the dead and maimed, within yards of the scene of the bombing which killed 28 and wounded some 200.
Thousands of people travelled from all over the country to be in Omagh, to show their solidarity. They swelled the high street, overflowing into car parks and side streets.
CROWD
The family of Buncrana, Co Donegal boy, Oran Doherty (8), huddled near the front of the crowd, comforting each other as the list of the dead was read out.
Political leaders and VIPs stayed on the sidelines for the service, the "act of prayerful reflection'' organised and conducted exclusively by Omagh people.
President McAleese and her husband Martin, stood near Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, and SDLP leader John Hume, First Minister David Trimble and Sinn Fein's Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness.
Church bells from the nearby Sacred Heart Church pealed continually for 15 minutes from 2.30pm.
Omagh priest Fr Kevin Mullan, who began speaking as the clock edged towards the fateful moment, told the multi-denominational gathering: "At this hour last Saturday, 28 good and deeply loved people, one carrying twins awaiting birth, were alive in these streets. Each of them, each of us, at this hour last Saturday had a future for some time on this earth.
"But their future had already been brought among us. AT 10 minutes past 3pm the future came. Death and life were blasted together. "The space within our town where all our futures were changed one week ago is today a silent sanctuary of remembrance, sharing their silence of the inner sanctuaries of broken hearts and families.''
Prayers were said and the names of the dead were read out in a simple and moving tribute. They included Avril Monaghan's "unborn girls who were due to be born in a few short weeks time.''
During the service three languages were used English, Irish and Spanish, the latter as a tribute to the two dead Spanish visitors.
Young Jody Sharkey, who lost his uncle Brian McCrory, was among those who read prayers.
Before the ceremony, relatives of the 28 victims met with dignitaries for lunch at the Leisure Centre the same sports complex where they gathered the previous Sunday as details of those missing and injured were posted.
IN DUBLIN, Archbishop Desmond Connell, who officiated at the special service for the Omagh victims, contrasted the humanity of those who carried out the atrocity and the people of Omagh, rushing to the help of the injured and dying.
"In the light of that contrast, we see at once how evil differs from goodness.
EVIL
"We see that the difference between right and wrong cannot just be reduced to matters of circumstance: there are indeed forms of behaviour that are always and everywhere inexcusably evil and deserve to be condemned in absolute terms.''
Former Taoiseach Albert Reynolds, who helped broker the IRA ceasefire was also present and said the Omagh bombing did not make any sense and served no cause.
Bells at Catholic churches throughout Dublin tolled at 3.10 to mark the moment when the killer bomb exploded.
IN WICKLOW, British Ambassador Veronica Sutherland gave the first reading at the ecumenical service at the Glencree Centre for Reconciliation. Over 200 people attended.
IN CORK, about 1,000 people attended a service at City Hall where prayers were said for the dead and injured.
Lord Mayor Joe O'Flynn, after reading the names and ages of the dead, said in a message to the men and women of violence that the community never again wanted to see such pain and grief.
The prayers were led by the Bishop of Cork and Ross, Dr John Buckley, Archdeacon Robin Bantry-White (Church of Ireland), Rev S Kenneth Todd (Methodist) and Rev John Faris (Presbyterian). The poem "The Bridge'', written by 12-year-old Co Donegal boy Sean McLaughlin who died in the Omagh blast was read out.
IN SPORT, 60,000 GAA fans attending the All Ireland semifinal replay between Clare and Offaly observed a minute's silence and a 15-minute ecumenical service was held. GAA president Joe McDonagh along with Methodist Church representative Rev Desmond Bain, Bishop of Tuam Rev John Duggan and the Rev Alan V Martin, Clerk of the Presbytery of Dublin and Munster also prayed for those suffering from injuries and bereavement. Mr McDonagh, who went to Omagh to visit the bereaved families and survivors of the blast, said: "It was the most dramatic time of my life.
"I was merely there to represent across the religious, political and community divide our sympathy as we united as one.''
At the Smurfit European Golf Championships, at the K Club in Co Kildare, top professionals interrupted their games to remember.
In Britain the Division Three game between Darlington and Halifax kicked off 10 minutes late on Saturday due to a remembrance silence for the victims.
By MICHAEL LAVERY
CITIES, towns and homes across Ireland fell silent at 3.10pm on Saturday as bells tolled and people observed a minute's silence for the victims of the Omagh bombing.
But it was in Omagh that a minute's silence stretched to eternity as up to 40,000 bowed their heads in shared grief with the families of the dead and maimed, within yards of the scene of the bombing which killed 28 and wounded some 200.
Thousands of people travelled from all over the country to be in Omagh, to show their solidarity. They swelled the high street, overflowing into car parks and side streets.
CROWD
The family of Buncrana, Co Donegal boy, Oran Doherty (8), huddled near the front of the crowd, comforting each other as the list of the dead was read out.
Political leaders and VIPs stayed on the sidelines for the service, the "act of prayerful reflection'' organised and conducted exclusively by Omagh people.
President McAleese and her husband Martin, stood near Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, and SDLP leader John Hume, First Minister David Trimble and Sinn Fein's Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness.
Church bells from the nearby Sacred Heart Church pealed continually for 15 minutes from 2.30pm.
Omagh priest Fr Kevin Mullan, who began speaking as the clock edged towards the fateful moment, told the multi-denominational gathering: "At this hour last Saturday, 28 good and deeply loved people, one carrying twins awaiting birth, were alive in these streets. Each of them, each of us, at this hour last Saturday had a future for some time on this earth.
"But their future had already been brought among us. AT 10 minutes past 3pm the future came. Death and life were blasted together. "The space within our town where all our futures were changed one week ago is today a silent sanctuary of remembrance, sharing their silence of the inner sanctuaries of broken hearts and families.''
Prayers were said and the names of the dead were read out in a simple and moving tribute. They included Avril Monaghan's "unborn girls who were due to be born in a few short weeks time.''
During the service three languages were used English, Irish and Spanish, the latter as a tribute to the two dead Spanish visitors.
Young Jody Sharkey, who lost his uncle Brian McCrory, was among those who read prayers.
Before the ceremony, relatives of the 28 victims met with dignitaries for lunch at the Leisure Centre the same sports complex where they gathered the previous Sunday as details of those missing and injured were posted.
IN DUBLIN, Archbishop Desmond Connell, who officiated at the special service for the Omagh victims, contrasted the humanity of those who carried out the atrocity and the people of Omagh, rushing to the help of the injured and dying.
"In the light of that contrast, we see at once how evil differs from goodness.
EVIL
"We see that the difference between right and wrong cannot just be reduced to matters of circumstance: there are indeed forms of behaviour that are always and everywhere inexcusably evil and deserve to be condemned in absolute terms.''
Former Taoiseach Albert Reynolds, who helped broker the IRA ceasefire was also present and said the Omagh bombing did not make any sense and served no cause.
Bells at Catholic churches throughout Dublin tolled at 3.10 to mark the moment when the killer bomb exploded.
IN WICKLOW, British Ambassador Veronica Sutherland gave the first reading at the ecumenical service at the Glencree Centre for Reconciliation. Over 200 people attended.
IN CORK, about 1,000 people attended a service at City Hall where prayers were said for the dead and injured.
Lord Mayor Joe O'Flynn, after reading the names and ages of the dead, said in a message to the men and women of violence that the community never again wanted to see such pain and grief.
The prayers were led by the Bishop of Cork and Ross, Dr John Buckley, Archdeacon Robin Bantry-White (Church of Ireland), Rev S Kenneth Todd (Methodist) and Rev John Faris (Presbyterian). The poem "The Bridge'', written by 12-year-old Co Donegal boy Sean McLaughlin who died in the Omagh blast was read out.
IN SPORT, 60,000 GAA fans attending the All Ireland semifinal replay between Clare and Offaly observed a minute's silence and a 15-minute ecumenical service was held. GAA president Joe McDonagh along with Methodist Church representative Rev Desmond Bain, Bishop of Tuam Rev John Duggan and the Rev Alan V Martin, Clerk of the Presbytery of Dublin and Munster also prayed for those suffering from injuries and bereavement. Mr McDonagh, who went to Omagh to visit the bereaved families and survivors of the blast, said: "It was the most dramatic time of my life.
"I was merely there to represent across the religious, political and community divide our sympathy as we united as one.''
At the Smurfit European Golf Championships, at the K Club in Co Kildare, top professionals interrupted their games to remember.
In Britain the Division Three game between Darlington and Halifax kicked off 10 minutes late on Saturday due to a remembrance silence for the victims.
Further Information
Publisher: IRISH INDEPENDENT
Ref: II/107
Published Date: 24-Aug-98
Related Images
There have been no images archived for this article.