PARENTS OF OMAGH VICTIM LOSE SECOND SON
Parents of Omagh victim lose second son
By Margaret Canning
Tyrone Correspondent
TRAGEDY has struck a Co Tyrone family for the second time after the brother of an Omagh bomb victim was killed in a car crash.
Solicitor Thomas Conway (31) died in a road accident in Devon in England on Monday. He was from Carrickmore near Omagh where his parents Mickey and Marie still live.
His 18-year-old brother Gareth, pictured, was killed in the Real IRA bombing of Omagh in August 1998, in which 29 people including a woman pregnant with twins lost their lives.
The brothers are survived by their sisters Marietta, Michaela and Shauneen and brothers Des and Ryan.
Thomas worked as a solicitor for Waveguide Solution in Newton Abbey, Devon, where he specialised in business and employment law.
He had studied law at Trinity College Dublin.
His uncle, John Conway, said the heartbroken family were coping "reasonably well" in the circumstances.
Kildress parish priest Fr Sean Hegarty said he knew the family well from his time ministering in Carrickmore.
"I was naturally devastated when I heard the news," he said.
"The family must be hurting as this is the second tragedy in which a young man has been taken in the springtime of his life.
"The family will have the support of the Carrickmore and other parishes.
"They have a very strong faith. They carried the burden [of Gareth's death] very well then.
"They are an excellent and exemplary family," he said.
Fr Hegarty said Thomas had achieved a lot in his life.
"Tom had a good presence and was down for even higher things in the future. He was a solicitor and a good one," he said.
"This is a very, very, very sad occasion. As someone who was involved with the family when Gareth died I would feel very badly about this."
Carrickmore parish priest Monsignor Denis Faul described Thomas as "a bright fella" and said news of his death was "very, very hard" to take.
Independent councillor Paddy McGowan said his sympathy went out to the Conway family.
"They are a very highly respected family in the area and in mid-Tyrone," he said.
Sinn Fein Mayor of Omagh, Michael McAnespie, said he knew Mr Conway's father from playing handball for Loughmacrory.
He said Mickey Conway had won an All-Ireland title for the club in the 1960s.
"This is a terrible loss for them - it's drastic that they have lost a second son," he said.
By Margaret Canning
Tyrone Correspondent
TRAGEDY has struck a Co Tyrone family for the second time after the brother of an Omagh bomb victim was killed in a car crash.
Solicitor Thomas Conway (31) died in a road accident in Devon in England on Monday. He was from Carrickmore near Omagh where his parents Mickey and Marie still live.
His 18-year-old brother Gareth, pictured, was killed in the Real IRA bombing of Omagh in August 1998, in which 29 people including a woman pregnant with twins lost their lives.
The brothers are survived by their sisters Marietta, Michaela and Shauneen and brothers Des and Ryan.
Thomas worked as a solicitor for Waveguide Solution in Newton Abbey, Devon, where he specialised in business and employment law.
He had studied law at Trinity College Dublin.
His uncle, John Conway, said the heartbroken family were coping "reasonably well" in the circumstances.
Kildress parish priest Fr Sean Hegarty said he knew the family well from his time ministering in Carrickmore.
"I was naturally devastated when I heard the news," he said.
"The family must be hurting as this is the second tragedy in which a young man has been taken in the springtime of his life.
"The family will have the support of the Carrickmore and other parishes.
"They have a very strong faith. They carried the burden [of Gareth's death] very well then.
"They are an excellent and exemplary family," he said.
Fr Hegarty said Thomas had achieved a lot in his life.
"Tom had a good presence and was down for even higher things in the future. He was a solicitor and a good one," he said.
"This is a very, very, very sad occasion. As someone who was involved with the family when Gareth died I would feel very badly about this."
Carrickmore parish priest Monsignor Denis Faul described Thomas as "a bright fella" and said news of his death was "very, very hard" to take.
Independent councillor Paddy McGowan said his sympathy went out to the Conway family.
"They are a very highly respected family in the area and in mid-Tyrone," he said.
Sinn Fein Mayor of Omagh, Michael McAnespie, said he knew Mr Conway's father from playing handball for Loughmacrory.
He said Mickey Conway had won an All-Ireland title for the club in the 1960s.
"This is a terrible loss for them - it's drastic that they have lost a second son," he said.
Further Information
Publisher: THE IRISH NEWS
Ref: IN/0764
Published Date: 03-Nov-05
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