OMAGH PAIN SHARED ON ESTHERS SHOW
OMAGH PAIN SHARED ON ESTHER'S SHOW
By PAULINE REYNOLDS
MILLIONS of telly viewers, all over Britain, will tomorrow share Kevin Skelton's moving story of the day his cherished wife, Philomena, died in the Omagh bomb. The devoted dad of four is among a studio audience - on the top daytime programme 'Esther' - who lost loved ones as a result of terrorist attacks. And, he opens his heart to speak with deep emotion about the Saturday afternoon, of August 15,1998, when his world fell apart. Kevin is joined by relatives of those killed in other atrocities, including the harrowing September 11 Twin Towers suicide-bombing mission in the US.
He admitted it wasn't easy reliving the heartbreaking moments, when he realised his adoring wife, of almost 20 years, was dead.
And, he talks of the frantic search for his daughter Shauna - just 13 years old at the time - who was missing among the tangled wreckage of shops and offices. "I spoke about how the hardest thing I had to do, after the Omagh bomb, was to tell her two days later that her mammy was dead," he said with a reflective sadness in his voice. "The wee girl was in hospital, badly injured, and had to have an operation.
"To spend two hours looking for your child, and thinking she might be dead, is an awful ordeal to have to go through.
"Then finding her, and having to tell her that her mammy was dead, is a pain I will take to the grave."
Kevin said appearing on the programme, with people united by the common bond of sudden and horrific loss, was a healing experience.
Other guests in the talk show, hosted by top celebrity Esther Rantzen, were genuinely interested in his story.
"I met people involved in the so-called 'forgotten bomb', at Aldershot army barracks, which killed seven, and was planted in retaliation for Bloody Sunday," he explained.
"I talked to those caught up in bombs at the BBC, Harrods and others, who were affected by the Lockerbie plane explosion.
"It was good to meet people, who had gone through similar experiences, and let them hear my story."
Kevin felt they had all been treated badly by the government in terms of support and compensation.
And, he admits he had his own agenda when he agreed to appear on the programme.
He had hoped to talk of how victims of violence in Ulster "felt like second class citizens."
The Omagh campaigner was also prepared to launch an attack on Prime Minister Tony Blair, accusing him of "gallivanting all over the world, and ignoring people on his own doorstep." It's now made him think twice about appearing on pre-recorded TV programmes.
"I really enjoyed appearing on Esther, as it was a very emotional and personal experience," he said.
"But, I will only consider live TV again, as it is there I will be able to drive across my more serious concerns."
The hour long Esther show, which was recorded earlier this month, will be screened tomorrow on BBC2 at 3.30pm.
By PAULINE REYNOLDS
MILLIONS of telly viewers, all over Britain, will tomorrow share Kevin Skelton's moving story of the day his cherished wife, Philomena, died in the Omagh bomb. The devoted dad of four is among a studio audience - on the top daytime programme 'Esther' - who lost loved ones as a result of terrorist attacks. And, he opens his heart to speak with deep emotion about the Saturday afternoon, of August 15,1998, when his world fell apart. Kevin is joined by relatives of those killed in other atrocities, including the harrowing September 11 Twin Towers suicide-bombing mission in the US.
He admitted it wasn't easy reliving the heartbreaking moments, when he realised his adoring wife, of almost 20 years, was dead.
And, he talks of the frantic search for his daughter Shauna - just 13 years old at the time - who was missing among the tangled wreckage of shops and offices. "I spoke about how the hardest thing I had to do, after the Omagh bomb, was to tell her two days later that her mammy was dead," he said with a reflective sadness in his voice. "The wee girl was in hospital, badly injured, and had to have an operation.
"To spend two hours looking for your child, and thinking she might be dead, is an awful ordeal to have to go through.
"Then finding her, and having to tell her that her mammy was dead, is a pain I will take to the grave."
Kevin said appearing on the programme, with people united by the common bond of sudden and horrific loss, was a healing experience.
Other guests in the talk show, hosted by top celebrity Esther Rantzen, were genuinely interested in his story.
"I met people involved in the so-called 'forgotten bomb', at Aldershot army barracks, which killed seven, and was planted in retaliation for Bloody Sunday," he explained.
"I talked to those caught up in bombs at the BBC, Harrods and others, who were affected by the Lockerbie plane explosion.
"It was good to meet people, who had gone through similar experiences, and let them hear my story."
Kevin felt they had all been treated badly by the government in terms of support and compensation.
And, he admits he had his own agenda when he agreed to appear on the programme.
He had hoped to talk of how victims of violence in Ulster "felt like second class citizens."
The Omagh campaigner was also prepared to launch an attack on Prime Minister Tony Blair, accusing him of "gallivanting all over the world, and ignoring people on his own doorstep." It's now made him think twice about appearing on pre-recorded TV programmes.
"I really enjoyed appearing on Esther, as it was a very emotional and personal experience," he said.
"But, I will only consider live TV again, as it is there I will be able to drive across my more serious concerns."
The hour long Esther show, which was recorded earlier this month, will be screened tomorrow on BBC2 at 3.30pm.
Further Information
Publisher: SUNDAY LIFE
Ref: SL/125
Published Date: 24-Feb-02
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