COUNCIL REACHES OUT TO GRIEVING
Council reaches out to the grieving
By Jonathan Turner
A TRUST fund has been set up by Omagh district council to help those injured in Saturday's bombing and the families of those who died.
Councillors met on Monday as the community struggled to come to terms with the tragedy.
Books of condolences will be opened in every village in the council area and in many local churches.
An emergency centre has been opened in Omagh's High Street at the former offices of the Training and Employment Agency.
Yesterday staff from the Northern Ireland Office, Housing Executive, building control and social services were there to offer advice.
It is hoped that a Ceefax page will be opened with details of the funeral arrangements, though yesterday that had yet to be done.
The town's leisure centre - an incident centre during the immediate aftermath of the bombing - will also be available for religious services.
The council will send representatives to all the funerals, including those in Buncrana and Spain.
In a statement yesterday, the council praised staff at the Tyrone County Hospital and social services for the "outstanding" manner in which they dealt with the attack.
A spokesman for Omagh council chairman Sean Clarke said they also wished to commend chief executive John McKinney for the professional way he had dealt with the disaster.
"The chairman would want to express his absolute admiration for the people of Omagh and beyond," the spokesman said.
"Issues like the trust fund and so on are for another day. Right now our thoughts are with the families of the bereaved and how we can help them get through their grief."
The spokesman said councillors from all parties in Omagh had helped on Saturday, ferrying the injured to hospital.
"Sean was there when the bomb went off and he saw the carnage for himself," he said. "He was devastated by what he saw."
Donations to the trust fund should be sent to First Trust bank in Omagh. Account number is 55876365, sort code 93 81 30.
By Jonathan Turner
A TRUST fund has been set up by Omagh district council to help those injured in Saturday's bombing and the families of those who died.
Councillors met on Monday as the community struggled to come to terms with the tragedy.
Books of condolences will be opened in every village in the council area and in many local churches.
An emergency centre has been opened in Omagh's High Street at the former offices of the Training and Employment Agency.
Yesterday staff from the Northern Ireland Office, Housing Executive, building control and social services were there to offer advice.
It is hoped that a Ceefax page will be opened with details of the funeral arrangements, though yesterday that had yet to be done.
The town's leisure centre - an incident centre during the immediate aftermath of the bombing - will also be available for religious services.
The council will send representatives to all the funerals, including those in Buncrana and Spain.
In a statement yesterday, the council praised staff at the Tyrone County Hospital and social services for the "outstanding" manner in which they dealt with the attack.
A spokesman for Omagh council chairman Sean Clarke said they also wished to commend chief executive John McKinney for the professional way he had dealt with the disaster.
"The chairman would want to express his absolute admiration for the people of Omagh and beyond," the spokesman said.
"Issues like the trust fund and so on are for another day. Right now our thoughts are with the families of the bereaved and how we can help them get through their grief."
The spokesman said councillors from all parties in Omagh had helped on Saturday, ferrying the injured to hospital.
"Sean was there when the bomb went off and he saw the carnage for himself," he said. "He was devastated by what he saw."
Donations to the trust fund should be sent to First Trust bank in Omagh. Account number is 55876365, sort code 93 81 30.
Further Information
Publisher: THE IRISH NEWS
Ref: IN/0070
Published Date: 19-Aug-98
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