BROKEN IN BODY BUT NOT IN SPIRIT
Broken in body but not in spirit
TODAY, the people of Omagh will take a few small steps on the long road to a form of recovery from the carnage of nine days ago.
Some shops will reopen in the town centre, while repair work will also get under way at the businesses which were wrecked in the appalling explosion.
There were reports yesterday that some traders were still reluctant to think about opening their doors again.
Those feelings are understandable, but it would be wrong for the commercial life of the town to be indefinitely suspended.
Omagh will never be the same again, and some premises may well remain closed for a long period.
At the same time, allowing the public to return to the heart of the town will be an important part of the grieving process.
The funerals of the 28 victims have all taken place and tens of thousands of people were able to participate in a poignant and dignified service of remembrance in the town on Saturday.
All those who contributed to the ceremony in Omagh and the other emotional gatherings across Ireland at the same time deserve enormous credit for their efforts.
There will be some disappointment that Tony Blair was unable to travel to Omagh on Saturday, although the deputy premier, John Prescott, was present.
There will also be surprise over aspects of the article from Mr Blair carried in yesterday's Observer.
The prime minister said the identities of Real IRA members were known to the authorities, and it would be possible to 'take them out', but this was not an option he was prepared to consider.
It was curious that Mr Blair chose to make any mention of the possibility of illegal action by the state forces against paramilitary activities.
He should have concentrated all his attention on the efforts to bring the evil individuals responsible for the atrocity to justice through the full force of the law.
If new UK legislation is required, along the lines of the measures already announced in the Republic of' Ireland, then there is an
overwhelming case for the recall of the British Parliament.
There was another positive development over the weekend, with confirmation that the INLA had finally called a permanent ceasefire.
The subsequent statement from the group's prisoners, which used the term 'the war is over', also deserved to be welcomed, as in many ways it summed up the sheer futility of paramilitary activity.
It is essential that the handful of republican dissidents who have yet to declare permanent ceasefires should do so immediately.
Those who carried out the Omagh atrocity should reflect deeply on the words of Mrs Gwen Hall, who, together with her 12-year-old son Alastair, was injured in the explosion.
Her message to the bombers from her hospital bed was immensely powerful and moving.
Mrs Hall spoke for all the people of the town when she said; 'You may have broken the bodies of the people of Omagh but you cannot break their spirit.'
The entire community will pray that she, her son, and all the other injured make a full recovery.
TODAY, the people of Omagh will take a few small steps on the long road to a form of recovery from the carnage of nine days ago.
Some shops will reopen in the town centre, while repair work will also get under way at the businesses which were wrecked in the appalling explosion.
There were reports yesterday that some traders were still reluctant to think about opening their doors again.
Those feelings are understandable, but it would be wrong for the commercial life of the town to be indefinitely suspended.
Omagh will never be the same again, and some premises may well remain closed for a long period.
At the same time, allowing the public to return to the heart of the town will be an important part of the grieving process.
The funerals of the 28 victims have all taken place and tens of thousands of people were able to participate in a poignant and dignified service of remembrance in the town on Saturday.
All those who contributed to the ceremony in Omagh and the other emotional gatherings across Ireland at the same time deserve enormous credit for their efforts.
There will be some disappointment that Tony Blair was unable to travel to Omagh on Saturday, although the deputy premier, John Prescott, was present.
There will also be surprise over aspects of the article from Mr Blair carried in yesterday's Observer.
The prime minister said the identities of Real IRA members were known to the authorities, and it would be possible to 'take them out', but this was not an option he was prepared to consider.
It was curious that Mr Blair chose to make any mention of the possibility of illegal action by the state forces against paramilitary activities.
He should have concentrated all his attention on the efforts to bring the evil individuals responsible for the atrocity to justice through the full force of the law.
If new UK legislation is required, along the lines of the measures already announced in the Republic of' Ireland, then there is an
overwhelming case for the recall of the British Parliament.
There was another positive development over the weekend, with confirmation that the INLA had finally called a permanent ceasefire.
The subsequent statement from the group's prisoners, which used the term 'the war is over', also deserved to be welcomed, as in many ways it summed up the sheer futility of paramilitary activity.
It is essential that the handful of republican dissidents who have yet to declare permanent ceasefires should do so immediately.
Those who carried out the Omagh atrocity should reflect deeply on the words of Mrs Gwen Hall, who, together with her 12-year-old son Alastair, was injured in the explosion.
Her message to the bombers from her hospital bed was immensely powerful and moving.
Mrs Hall spoke for all the people of the town when she said; 'You may have broken the bodies of the people of Omagh but you cannot break their spirit.'
The entire community will pray that she, her son, and all the other injured make a full recovery.
Further Information
Publisher: THE IRISH NEWS
Ref: IN/0192
Published Date: 24-Sep-98
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