COMMUNITY UNITES IN GRIEF AND ANGER
Community unites in grief and anger
By GORDON ADAIR
WIDESPREAD condemnation of the Omagh bombing continued yesterday. Sean Farren, SDLP North Antrim Assemblyman said: "The people of North Antrim are weeping as are so many all over Northern Ireland." He added: "Both governments and all parties must now stand shoulder to shoulder behind the Agreement and our new institutions. These fascists must ever be allowed to derail what the people have voted for."
The Amalgamated Transport and General Workers Union's Omagh district office said it was shocked and sickened at the sheer brutality of the attack and condemned its perpetrators and their apologists.
"The extremists who promise nothing but more misery and death must not be allowed to use this massacre to destroy our hope in our community at this sad me for all of us," said regional organiser Jim Quinn.
The Workers Party supported First Minister David Trimble's call for a national day of mourning. Party President Tom French said: "Ordinary people not only in Northern Ire-land but in the Irish Republic must be given the opportunity to publicly protest their disgust and abhorrence at these bombers and those who support them." The mayor of Ards Borough Council, Cllr George Ennis, said words failed to describe adequately the horrors of the Omagh bombing.
"The murderers must be brought to justice and each of us must recognise our individual responsibility to ostracise all those who advocate the use of violence," he said.
The Meath Peace Group said the thoughts and prayers of its members are with the people of Omagh. The group aid: "Those who carried out this evil act lave no mandate from the Irish people and no message. They shame the name of Ireland and they shame humanity."
The CBI said the business community has been numbed by this atrocity. It said it had focused attention on the issue of explosives and weapons. The group's director, Nigel Smyth, said: "The existence significant amounts of explosives and weapons and the capacity to use them with such horrific impact is deeply worrying and highly dangerous.
"The CBI calls on all those who have influence over such arsenals to do everything within their influence to secure early decommissioning of them. This is a crucial step forward. It will also provide an important confidence building measure."
The MSF, the union for skilled and professional people, said the bombing will leave a legacy of pain and suffering for innocent and bereaved people for a long time to come. "This absolute tragedy and its consequences demonstrate the sheer futility and horror of violence and murder," said a spokesman.
Women's Coalition Assembly member Jane Morrice said the actions of a few must not be allowed to thwart the wishes of many.
"By working collectively to implement the Good Friday Agreement we can at least get closer to the day which such actions are never again witnessed in our society," she said.
The Irish Congress of Trade Unions officer Tom Gillen said the trade union movement was horrified by what had happened and revealed that representatives of local trade unions will be laying a wreath in Omagh at 11.00 this morning.
Capitol Hill-based Irish lobby group, the Irish National Caucus, condemned the bombing. The group's president Fr Sean McManus said: "The Omagh bombing was a brutally violent and viciously evil act. No words are adequate to condemn it."
He said that if a few misguided Americans had been tempted to support the group responsible for the Omagh bombing they they must now reject such a group. "All Irish-Americans, now more than ever before, should increase their support for the Irish peace process, which the Omagh bombing was designed to destroy."
By GORDON ADAIR
WIDESPREAD condemnation of the Omagh bombing continued yesterday. Sean Farren, SDLP North Antrim Assemblyman said: "The people of North Antrim are weeping as are so many all over Northern Ireland." He added: "Both governments and all parties must now stand shoulder to shoulder behind the Agreement and our new institutions. These fascists must ever be allowed to derail what the people have voted for."
The Amalgamated Transport and General Workers Union's Omagh district office said it was shocked and sickened at the sheer brutality of the attack and condemned its perpetrators and their apologists.
"The extremists who promise nothing but more misery and death must not be allowed to use this massacre to destroy our hope in our community at this sad me for all of us," said regional organiser Jim Quinn.
The Workers Party supported First Minister David Trimble's call for a national day of mourning. Party President Tom French said: "Ordinary people not only in Northern Ire-land but in the Irish Republic must be given the opportunity to publicly protest their disgust and abhorrence at these bombers and those who support them." The mayor of Ards Borough Council, Cllr George Ennis, said words failed to describe adequately the horrors of the Omagh bombing.
"The murderers must be brought to justice and each of us must recognise our individual responsibility to ostracise all those who advocate the use of violence," he said.
The Meath Peace Group said the thoughts and prayers of its members are with the people of Omagh. The group aid: "Those who carried out this evil act lave no mandate from the Irish people and no message. They shame the name of Ireland and they shame humanity."
The CBI said the business community has been numbed by this atrocity. It said it had focused attention on the issue of explosives and weapons. The group's director, Nigel Smyth, said: "The existence significant amounts of explosives and weapons and the capacity to use them with such horrific impact is deeply worrying and highly dangerous.
"The CBI calls on all those who have influence over such arsenals to do everything within their influence to secure early decommissioning of them. This is a crucial step forward. It will also provide an important confidence building measure."
The MSF, the union for skilled and professional people, said the bombing will leave a legacy of pain and suffering for innocent and bereaved people for a long time to come. "This absolute tragedy and its consequences demonstrate the sheer futility and horror of violence and murder," said a spokesman.
Women's Coalition Assembly member Jane Morrice said the actions of a few must not be allowed to thwart the wishes of many.
"By working collectively to implement the Good Friday Agreement we can at least get closer to the day which such actions are never again witnessed in our society," she said.
The Irish Congress of Trade Unions officer Tom Gillen said the trade union movement was horrified by what had happened and revealed that representatives of local trade unions will be laying a wreath in Omagh at 11.00 this morning.
Capitol Hill-based Irish lobby group, the Irish National Caucus, condemned the bombing. The group's president Fr Sean McManus said: "The Omagh bombing was a brutally violent and viciously evil act. No words are adequate to condemn it."
He said that if a few misguided Americans had been tempted to support the group responsible for the Omagh bombing they they must now reject such a group. "All Irish-Americans, now more than ever before, should increase their support for the Irish peace process, which the Omagh bombing was designed to destroy."
Further Information
Publisher: NEWS LETTER
Ref: NL/068
Published Date: 18-Aug-98
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