PANEL SET UP TO DECIDE OMAGH BOMB TRIBUTE
Panel set up to decide Omagh bomb tribute
BY SIMON HUNTER
s. hunter@newsletter. co. uk
AN advisory panel has been appointed to commission a �250,000 memorial to the Omagh bomb victims ahead of its 10th anniversary in August next year.
The Omagh Memorial Working Group has named the five-strong panel that will decide upon the nature of the permanent memorial to the most devastating terrorist attack in Northern Ireland's troubled history.
Michael Gallagher, whose son Aiden was killed in the blast, is concerned about the wording which will be used on the memorial.
Sinn Fein members of Omagh District Council have rejected the wording suggested for inscription on the tribute and Mr Gallagher met with representatives of the British, Irish and Spanish governments yesterday to stress the insistence of particular wording being used.
Representatives of the three governments are on the panel and will, alongside members of the the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Visual Artists Ireland, aim to have the memorial complete before the anniversary on August 15.
A total of 31 people, including two unborn children and Spanish exchange students, died in the bomb in 1998. It is because of this enormity of the Omagh Bomb that Mr Gallagher believes there must be a fitting reference to exactly what happened that day.
The proposed wording is: "To honour and remember 31 people murdered and hundreds injured from three nations by a dissident republican terrorist car bomb."
Mr Gallagher, bomb survivors and others who lost loved ones are adamant that this must be inscribed on whatever memorial is built.
"We met with the British, Irish and Spanish government representatives and we left them in no doubt that the wishes of the families have to come first," he said.
"We were concerned that the wording about the facts be put on the plaque.
"That, for the families, is the most important issue.
"We have to make sure that whatever memorial or monument is created that these words go on it.
"That was why we did not want to engage with the working group but we did feel it was very important to engage with the three government representatives.
"They can have whatever else they want on it but we feel these basic facts must go on that piece of artwork so that generations to come will know what happened."
Omagh District Council chief executive Danny McSorley is chairman of the Omagh Memorial Working Group and as he announced the make up of the working group, he promised it would fairly reflect the impact of the bomb.
"The working group has moved to establish an advisory tier in recognition of the fact that the Omagh bomb had a huge impact not only locally, but also nationally and internationally," he said.
"The panel will meet regularly with the Omagh Memorial Working Group to monitor progress and will also be involved in the assessment of applications received to the public art competition to appoint a design team".
The public art competition will be launched in the spring of 2007 when design teams will be asked to submit their proposals for an appropriate design which will link the bomb site and the site of the temporary memorial garden at Drumragh Avenue.
BY SIMON HUNTER
s. hunter@newsletter. co. uk
AN advisory panel has been appointed to commission a �250,000 memorial to the Omagh bomb victims ahead of its 10th anniversary in August next year.
The Omagh Memorial Working Group has named the five-strong panel that will decide upon the nature of the permanent memorial to the most devastating terrorist attack in Northern Ireland's troubled history.
Michael Gallagher, whose son Aiden was killed in the blast, is concerned about the wording which will be used on the memorial.
Sinn Fein members of Omagh District Council have rejected the wording suggested for inscription on the tribute and Mr Gallagher met with representatives of the British, Irish and Spanish governments yesterday to stress the insistence of particular wording being used.
Representatives of the three governments are on the panel and will, alongside members of the the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Visual Artists Ireland, aim to have the memorial complete before the anniversary on August 15.
A total of 31 people, including two unborn children and Spanish exchange students, died in the bomb in 1998. It is because of this enormity of the Omagh Bomb that Mr Gallagher believes there must be a fitting reference to exactly what happened that day.
The proposed wording is: "To honour and remember 31 people murdered and hundreds injured from three nations by a dissident republican terrorist car bomb."
Mr Gallagher, bomb survivors and others who lost loved ones are adamant that this must be inscribed on whatever memorial is built.
"We met with the British, Irish and Spanish government representatives and we left them in no doubt that the wishes of the families have to come first," he said.
"We were concerned that the wording about the facts be put on the plaque.
"That, for the families, is the most important issue.
"We have to make sure that whatever memorial or monument is created that these words go on it.
"That was why we did not want to engage with the working group but we did feel it was very important to engage with the three government representatives.
"They can have whatever else they want on it but we feel these basic facts must go on that piece of artwork so that generations to come will know what happened."
Omagh District Council chief executive Danny McSorley is chairman of the Omagh Memorial Working Group and as he announced the make up of the working group, he promised it would fairly reflect the impact of the bomb.
"The working group has moved to establish an advisory tier in recognition of the fact that the Omagh bomb had a huge impact not only locally, but also nationally and internationally," he said.
"The panel will meet regularly with the Omagh Memorial Working Group to monitor progress and will also be involved in the assessment of applications received to the public art competition to appoint a design team".
The public art competition will be launched in the spring of 2007 when design teams will be asked to submit their proposals for an appropriate design which will link the bomb site and the site of the temporary memorial garden at Drumragh Avenue.
Further Information
Publisher: NEWS LETTER
Ref: NL/684
Published Date: 11-Jan-07
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