RELATIVES MISS ANNIVERSARY
Relatives miss anniversary
SOME of the families whose loved ones were killed in the 1998 Omagh tragedy did not attend yesterday's council-led memorial service, opting instead to attend their own personal service tomorrow.
Controversy surrounding the wording placed on the Omagh District Council memorials in the Garden of Remembrance and at the bomb site had caused upset and led to a "break-down in relationships."
As a result, some of the victims' families felt they could not attend yesterday's service and instead will gather tomorrow at the Garden of Remembrance at 3.10pm where .here will be a service of prayer with music and reflection.
Representatives from the British, Irish and Spanish governments will join the members of the Omagh Victim's Group for the service.
Some relatives of victims had felt unhappy about the inscriptions because it did not reflect who was responsible for the bomb. Inside the Garden of Remembrance, where there is wording on five sections of wall, an inscription on the final section reads: "To honour and remember 31 people murdered and hundreds injured from three nations by a dissident republic can terrorist car bomb".
At the bomb site, a brief inscription reads: "A car bomb exploded at this site on Saturday 15 August 1998 at 3.10 pm. This act of terror killed thirty-one people, injured hundreds, and changed forever the lives of-many."
Michael Gallagher, left, who lost his 21-year-old son Aidan in the bomb, and who is chairman of the Omagh Support and Self-Help Group, is among those who did not attend the event yesterday.
He said the group had wanted to see the same wording at both sites.
"There was a major row over the wording," he said.
"That controversy is over but there was pain and hurt caused by it.
"There was a fall-out from the wording issue and there was a breakdown in relations.
SOME of the families whose loved ones were killed in the 1998 Omagh tragedy did not attend yesterday's council-led memorial service, opting instead to attend their own personal service tomorrow.
Controversy surrounding the wording placed on the Omagh District Council memorials in the Garden of Remembrance and at the bomb site had caused upset and led to a "break-down in relationships."
As a result, some of the victims' families felt they could not attend yesterday's service and instead will gather tomorrow at the Garden of Remembrance at 3.10pm where .here will be a service of prayer with music and reflection.
Representatives from the British, Irish and Spanish governments will join the members of the Omagh Victim's Group for the service.
Some relatives of victims had felt unhappy about the inscriptions because it did not reflect who was responsible for the bomb. Inside the Garden of Remembrance, where there is wording on five sections of wall, an inscription on the final section reads: "To honour and remember 31 people murdered and hundreds injured from three nations by a dissident republic can terrorist car bomb".
At the bomb site, a brief inscription reads: "A car bomb exploded at this site on Saturday 15 August 1998 at 3.10 pm. This act of terror killed thirty-one people, injured hundreds, and changed forever the lives of-many."
Michael Gallagher, left, who lost his 21-year-old son Aidan in the bomb, and who is chairman of the Omagh Support and Self-Help Group, is among those who did not attend the event yesterday.
He said the group had wanted to see the same wording at both sites.
"There was a major row over the wording," he said.
"That controversy is over but there was pain and hurt caused by it.
"There was a fall-out from the wording issue and there was a breakdown in relations.
Further Information
Publisher: THE IRISH NEWS
Ref: IN10An/21
Published Date: 16-Aug-08
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