BOMB MEANS SECOND TRAGIC DEATH IN FAMILY
Bomb means second tragic death in family
By Seamus McKinny
THE DEATH of their only son, Adrian in Saturday's bomb, was the second time the Troubles had visited disaster on Michael and Patricia Gallagher from Omagh's Circular Road.
In 1984, Michael's brother Hugh was shot dead by the IRA while working as a taxi driver in Omagh.
Hugh had been a part-time member of the UDR but left the army to take up a job as a taxi driver.
Speaking from his home last night, Michael Gallagher doubted if he or his wife would ever come to terms with the death of their 21-year-old son.
"It is very difficult, I think. We just really don't understand what's happening. When we do I don't know if we'll have the strength to bear up.
"Friends and family have been the mainstay and basically that's what's keeping us going," he said.
While Mr Gallagher was almost sure his son was dead it was not until mid morning yesterday that the death was eventually confirmed when his son's body was formally identified at Omagh army barracks.
As a steady stream of mourners called at his home, Mr Gallagher recalled the weekend's events.
"I had a good idea he was near the seat of the explosion because his friend with him was quite badly burned.
"I thought that when the friend survived, I thought he would have survived.
"It just went on and on until the early hours of the morning, in fact until the middle of the morning when we went to Lisanelly camp to the morgue and identified him.
"I didn't do the formal identification, it was my brother and he told me he wasn't badly marked and I'm grateful for that small mercy," Mr Gallagher said.
He also expressed a hope that his son died instantly - although he would never know if this was the case.
Describing his son as "warm-hearted," Mr Gallagher said: "He was six foot two and very well built.
"He was somebody who liked to enjoy himself. He was very well-liked among his friends. He was totally into cars; that was his life. His total and absolute life was cars."
The Omagh father said he had no thoughts for those responsible for Saturday's bomb at present.
"I would be very selfish. My thoughts would totally be for my son and my family.
"I wouldn't really want to be that near anybody who would do something as evil as this." he said.
By Seamus McKinny
THE DEATH of their only son, Adrian in Saturday's bomb, was the second time the Troubles had visited disaster on Michael and Patricia Gallagher from Omagh's Circular Road.
In 1984, Michael's brother Hugh was shot dead by the IRA while working as a taxi driver in Omagh.
Hugh had been a part-time member of the UDR but left the army to take up a job as a taxi driver.
Speaking from his home last night, Michael Gallagher doubted if he or his wife would ever come to terms with the death of their 21-year-old son.
"It is very difficult, I think. We just really don't understand what's happening. When we do I don't know if we'll have the strength to bear up.
"Friends and family have been the mainstay and basically that's what's keeping us going," he said.
While Mr Gallagher was almost sure his son was dead it was not until mid morning yesterday that the death was eventually confirmed when his son's body was formally identified at Omagh army barracks.
As a steady stream of mourners called at his home, Mr Gallagher recalled the weekend's events.
"I had a good idea he was near the seat of the explosion because his friend with him was quite badly burned.
"I thought that when the friend survived, I thought he would have survived.
"It just went on and on until the early hours of the morning, in fact until the middle of the morning when we went to Lisanelly camp to the morgue and identified him.
"I didn't do the formal identification, it was my brother and he told me he wasn't badly marked and I'm grateful for that small mercy," Mr Gallagher said.
He also expressed a hope that his son died instantly - although he would never know if this was the case.
Describing his son as "warm-hearted," Mr Gallagher said: "He was six foot two and very well built.
"He was somebody who liked to enjoy himself. He was very well-liked among his friends. He was totally into cars; that was his life. His total and absolute life was cars."
The Omagh father said he had no thoughts for those responsible for Saturday's bomb at present.
"I would be very selfish. My thoughts would totally be for my son and my family.
"I wouldn't really want to be that near anybody who would do something as evil as this." he said.
Further Information
Publisher: THE IRISH NEWS
Ref: IN/0006
Published Date: 17-Aug-98
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