TOWN GRIEVES FOR BOMB VICTIMS
Town grieves for bomb victims
By ANITA GUIDERA
A TOWN which lost three schoolboys and two Spanish language students in the Omagh bombing will today begin two days of events to commemorate the first anniversary of the atrocity.
Officials from Omagh District Council will arrive in Buncrana, Co Donegal, for a civic reception ahead of the anniversary tomorrow of the bombing which left a total of 29 dead and hundreds more injured.
Bereaved families from Buncrana will take part in a special Sunday service along with thousands of others expected to converge on the Inishowen town.
The Spanish leader of the language school will read a special message on behalf of its students who have returned to the town this year, in spite of the atrocity.
"For the families of the victims, the clock stopped at 3.10pm on August 15 last year and they are still awakening to the reality of the indescribable grief and pain of their loss," said local curate Fr Shane Bradley.
Oran Doherty (8), Shaun McLaughlin (12), James Barker (12), Fernando Blasco Basselga (12) and Rocio Abad Ramos (23) lost their lives in the bomb which injured many other children from Buncrana and Spain who had travelled to Omagh for an afternoon's shopping.
The three Buncrana families, whose lives have been turned upside down for the past year, will relive their grief this weekend.
Bernie Doherty, mother of Oran, one of the youngest victims, said: "I miss him so much now because he has been away so long. I hope that there is a heaven, and that Oran is there and some day I will be with him again."
By ANITA GUIDERA
A TOWN which lost three schoolboys and two Spanish language students in the Omagh bombing will today begin two days of events to commemorate the first anniversary of the atrocity.
Officials from Omagh District Council will arrive in Buncrana, Co Donegal, for a civic reception ahead of the anniversary tomorrow of the bombing which left a total of 29 dead and hundreds more injured.
Bereaved families from Buncrana will take part in a special Sunday service along with thousands of others expected to converge on the Inishowen town.
The Spanish leader of the language school will read a special message on behalf of its students who have returned to the town this year, in spite of the atrocity.
"For the families of the victims, the clock stopped at 3.10pm on August 15 last year and they are still awakening to the reality of the indescribable grief and pain of their loss," said local curate Fr Shane Bradley.
Oran Doherty (8), Shaun McLaughlin (12), James Barker (12), Fernando Blasco Basselga (12) and Rocio Abad Ramos (23) lost their lives in the bomb which injured many other children from Buncrana and Spain who had travelled to Omagh for an afternoon's shopping.
The three Buncrana families, whose lives have been turned upside down for the past year, will relive their grief this weekend.
Bernie Doherty, mother of Oran, one of the youngest victims, said: "I miss him so much now because he has been away so long. I hope that there is a heaven, and that Oran is there and some day I will be with him again."
Further Information
Publisher: IRISH INDEPENDENT
Ref: II/172
Published Date: 14-Aug-99
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