PURE EVIL OF BOMB HOAX CALLER
Pure evil' of bomb hoax caller
By Niall Blaney
TERRIFIED Omagh people ran screaming and crying from the town centre yesterday fearing a second bomb had been left in the devastated town.
An evil hoaxer rang the Samaritans claiming a car-bomb had been left near the courthouse - the same misleading warning given before the explosion which killed 29 people last month.
It came as the 29th victim, 61-year-old Sean McGrath, was due to be buried following his death on Saturday.
Worshippers fled from church services close to the courthouse after police began clearing the area.
Services at the Sacred Heart Church and nearby St Columba's Church of Ireland were disrupted. Many of those who fled were evacuated during the August 15 atrocity.
The hoax caller was branded "absolutely evil" by a councillor in the town. The incident came as the remains of Mr McGrath lay in rest at St Mary's Catholic Church in Killyclogher, a few miles outside the town.
The retired businessman died in Belfast's Royal Victoria Hospital after surgeons there had battled to save his life. He had been in a critical condition in hospital since the explosion.
Mr McGrath lived at at Omagh's Carnony Road. He is survived by his wife Nuala and grown-up children, Noeleen, Conor, Gavin and Caragh.
Mr McGrath was described as "a gentleman". His family spent the last three weeks at his bedside praying that he would recover.
Mr McGrath was well-known in Omagh and retired from his successful bakery business two years ago.
On Saturday his remains were taken straight from the RVH to St Mary's church where a service was held. Mr McGrath will be buried today after funeral Mass at noon.
His death has deepened the pain for people in Omagh, who are still trying to come to terms with the effects of the Real IRA bombing.
Omagh priest Fr Kevin Mullan said: "This has opened up the pain again for people and is another setback. This will have deepened the wound. Mr McGrath belonged to a well-known family."
Yesterday, the auxiliary bishop of Derry, Dr Francis Lagan, visited Mr McGrath's devastated family.
SDLP councillor Patrick McDonnell described Mr McGrath as "a friendly and affable fellow", adding: "He would have been quite innovative in the bakery business and worked on projects such as soda bread for the Irish-American market. He was an entrepreneur and a popular man."
British Prime Minister Tony Blair said he was "deeply saddened that this terrible bomb has claimed another victim."
Mr McGrath passed away as American president Bill Clinton was visiting Limerick. Taoiseach Bertie Ahern asked the thousands of people there who had turned out to greet Mr Clinton to join with him in sending condolences to the McGrath family.
West Tyrone Ulster Unionist MP Willie Thompson said: "This just highlights the fact that the suffering is far from over, and indeed there are others who are still in danger and could lose their lives."
Secretary of State Mo Mowlam expressed her sadness at hearing of Mr McGrath's death.
She said: "My heart goes out to the family and relatives of Mr McGrath as they try to come to terms with their loss."
Independent Community Councillor Paddy McGowan said he knew Mr McGrath very well and had spoken to him twice on the day of the Omagh bombing. "He was a fine man. He was a retired businessman in the town and was a household name. He was kind and generous - I am lost for words to describe the quality of the man he was. He was everything you could ask for in a gentleman.
"Everyone had been hoping and praying that he would recover. He was in a bad condition from day one. His family are absolutely devastated."
Mr McGowan condemned the caller who claimed there was a bomb in Omagh town centre yesterday as completely evil.
A caller, who did not use a recognised codeword, said a bomb had been left close to the courthouse. The security alert began at 12.20pm and was declared a hoax at 2.40pm. A number of premises in Omagh town centre had to be evacuated.
Mr McGowan said: "Church services were disrupted and people were running scared from the churches.
"People said this was sick, but I said that these people were not sick, they were plain evil.
"Even to mention the word bomb in the town of Omagh is too much. The caller said the bomb was at the courthouse and there were a lot of people who had parked their cars around there. They feared the same thing was going to happen again.
Two women are still in a critical condition in the RVH while a further 29 injured are recovering in hospitals across Northern Ireland.
Mr McGrath will be buried in the family's plot at the Dublin Road cemetery later today.
By Niall Blaney
TERRIFIED Omagh people ran screaming and crying from the town centre yesterday fearing a second bomb had been left in the devastated town.
An evil hoaxer rang the Samaritans claiming a car-bomb had been left near the courthouse - the same misleading warning given before the explosion which killed 29 people last month.
It came as the 29th victim, 61-year-old Sean McGrath, was due to be buried following his death on Saturday.
Worshippers fled from church services close to the courthouse after police began clearing the area.
Services at the Sacred Heart Church and nearby St Columba's Church of Ireland were disrupted. Many of those who fled were evacuated during the August 15 atrocity.
The hoax caller was branded "absolutely evil" by a councillor in the town. The incident came as the remains of Mr McGrath lay in rest at St Mary's Catholic Church in Killyclogher, a few miles outside the town.
The retired businessman died in Belfast's Royal Victoria Hospital after surgeons there had battled to save his life. He had been in a critical condition in hospital since the explosion.
Mr McGrath lived at at Omagh's Carnony Road. He is survived by his wife Nuala and grown-up children, Noeleen, Conor, Gavin and Caragh.
Mr McGrath was described as "a gentleman". His family spent the last three weeks at his bedside praying that he would recover.
Mr McGrath was well-known in Omagh and retired from his successful bakery business two years ago.
On Saturday his remains were taken straight from the RVH to St Mary's church where a service was held. Mr McGrath will be buried today after funeral Mass at noon.
His death has deepened the pain for people in Omagh, who are still trying to come to terms with the effects of the Real IRA bombing.
Omagh priest Fr Kevin Mullan said: "This has opened up the pain again for people and is another setback. This will have deepened the wound. Mr McGrath belonged to a well-known family."
Yesterday, the auxiliary bishop of Derry, Dr Francis Lagan, visited Mr McGrath's devastated family.
SDLP councillor Patrick McDonnell described Mr McGrath as "a friendly and affable fellow", adding: "He would have been quite innovative in the bakery business and worked on projects such as soda bread for the Irish-American market. He was an entrepreneur and a popular man."
British Prime Minister Tony Blair said he was "deeply saddened that this terrible bomb has claimed another victim."
Mr McGrath passed away as American president Bill Clinton was visiting Limerick. Taoiseach Bertie Ahern asked the thousands of people there who had turned out to greet Mr Clinton to join with him in sending condolences to the McGrath family.
West Tyrone Ulster Unionist MP Willie Thompson said: "This just highlights the fact that the suffering is far from over, and indeed there are others who are still in danger and could lose their lives."
Secretary of State Mo Mowlam expressed her sadness at hearing of Mr McGrath's death.
She said: "My heart goes out to the family and relatives of Mr McGrath as they try to come to terms with their loss."
Independent Community Councillor Paddy McGowan said he knew Mr McGrath very well and had spoken to him twice on the day of the Omagh bombing. "He was a fine man. He was a retired businessman in the town and was a household name. He was kind and generous - I am lost for words to describe the quality of the man he was. He was everything you could ask for in a gentleman.
"Everyone had been hoping and praying that he would recover. He was in a bad condition from day one. His family are absolutely devastated."
Mr McGowan condemned the caller who claimed there was a bomb in Omagh town centre yesterday as completely evil.
A caller, who did not use a recognised codeword, said a bomb had been left close to the courthouse. The security alert began at 12.20pm and was declared a hoax at 2.40pm. A number of premises in Omagh town centre had to be evacuated.
Mr McGowan said: "Church services were disrupted and people were running scared from the churches.
"People said this was sick, but I said that these people were not sick, they were plain evil.
"Even to mention the word bomb in the town of Omagh is too much. The caller said the bomb was at the courthouse and there were a lot of people who had parked their cars around there. They feared the same thing was going to happen again.
Two women are still in a critical condition in the RVH while a further 29 injured are recovering in hospitals across Northern Ireland.
Mr McGrath will be buried in the family's plot at the Dublin Road cemetery later today.
Further Information
Publisher: THE IRISH NEWS
Ref: IN/0487
Published Date: 07-Sep-98
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