FLORAL TRIBUTES ARRIVE FROM AROUND THE WORLD
Floral tributes arrive from around the world
"To the world you were someone, To someone you were the world"
That simple message on one of the thousands of wreaths, bunches of flowers, and cuddly toys left in Omagh by those sympathising with the victims of Saturday's bombing, speaks for each life so cruelly snuffed out.
The tributes came from throughout Ireland, the mainland and from across the world, in addition to those placed by friends and family, at sites in High Street, lower Market Street, and along the length of Strule Bridge on Drumragh Avenue.
Candles burned brightly throughout the night at all sites.
Prince Charles laid a wreath of flowers from his own garden at Strule Bridge during Tuesday afternoon's visit to the town, and a Dubliner made a 240-mile round trip to place flowers at the bridge in lower Market Street on Sunday afternoon.
The Royal wreath bore the inscription, "With my deepest sympathy and heartfelt prayers".
Other floral tributes from Ireland came from Sligo, Limerick and the county's Garda Siochana, the Chatham Street flower sellers in Dublin among tens of others from the Southern capital, Drogheda, Cavan, Dundalk, Tipperary, Wicklow, and from a host of towns in Donegal and Northern Ireland.
Among the most poignant were those from other areas which had suffered in the past.
They included one from 'the relatives and victims of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings', and others from the victims of the Shankill Road bomb, from Jimmy in Warrington, Enniskillen, and Claudy.
One local wreath, obviously from a soldier's wife, summed up what the world has come to know of Omagh since it hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons last weekend.
It said, in part, "After being here for a short while, I didn't have to ' look long for a friendly face or smile".
There were also wreaths or flowers from the Commanding Officer, families and soldiers. Lisanelly Barracks, all ranks and families of the 1st Battalion, The Queen's Lancashire Regiment, and from various branches of the Trades Union movement.
Others, from across the Irish Sea included messages of support from Glasgow, South Edinburgh Quakers. Rochester, Dagenham, Manchester, and Birmingham.
On a broader canvass, flowers, many with the brief question "why?" pinned to them, came from Italy, Spain, Australia, and Gucci Watches.
There were, too, those signed by 'A grandmother', and 'A passer-by', Nicola, aged 5, one to 'Baby Breda', from Rona aged 3 years: 'I was lucky', and one from Trevor Kane, the local man seen on television pictures worldwide in the immediate aftermath of the bombing, outraged at the deed which destroyed Omagh and its people.
Outside Watterson's is a Dublin wreath, with the 28 dead carefully named, and addressed 'to all 28 innocent victims, and two unborn children, whose lives were senselessly stolen from them'.
It ended: "We came because we care."
"To the world you were someone, To someone you were the world"
That simple message on one of the thousands of wreaths, bunches of flowers, and cuddly toys left in Omagh by those sympathising with the victims of Saturday's bombing, speaks for each life so cruelly snuffed out.
The tributes came from throughout Ireland, the mainland and from across the world, in addition to those placed by friends and family, at sites in High Street, lower Market Street, and along the length of Strule Bridge on Drumragh Avenue.
Candles burned brightly throughout the night at all sites.
Prince Charles laid a wreath of flowers from his own garden at Strule Bridge during Tuesday afternoon's visit to the town, and a Dubliner made a 240-mile round trip to place flowers at the bridge in lower Market Street on Sunday afternoon.
The Royal wreath bore the inscription, "With my deepest sympathy and heartfelt prayers".
Other floral tributes from Ireland came from Sligo, Limerick and the county's Garda Siochana, the Chatham Street flower sellers in Dublin among tens of others from the Southern capital, Drogheda, Cavan, Dundalk, Tipperary, Wicklow, and from a host of towns in Donegal and Northern Ireland.
Among the most poignant were those from other areas which had suffered in the past.
They included one from 'the relatives and victims of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings', and others from the victims of the Shankill Road bomb, from Jimmy in Warrington, Enniskillen, and Claudy.
One local wreath, obviously from a soldier's wife, summed up what the world has come to know of Omagh since it hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons last weekend.
It said, in part, "After being here for a short while, I didn't have to ' look long for a friendly face or smile".
There were also wreaths or flowers from the Commanding Officer, families and soldiers. Lisanelly Barracks, all ranks and families of the 1st Battalion, The Queen's Lancashire Regiment, and from various branches of the Trades Union movement.
Others, from across the Irish Sea included messages of support from Glasgow, South Edinburgh Quakers. Rochester, Dagenham, Manchester, and Birmingham.
On a broader canvass, flowers, many with the brief question "why?" pinned to them, came from Italy, Spain, Australia, and Gucci Watches.
There were, too, those signed by 'A grandmother', and 'A passer-by', Nicola, aged 5, one to 'Baby Breda', from Rona aged 3 years: 'I was lucky', and one from Trevor Kane, the local man seen on television pictures worldwide in the immediate aftermath of the bombing, outraged at the deed which destroyed Omagh and its people.
Outside Watterson's is a Dublin wreath, with the 28 dead carefully named, and addressed 'to all 28 innocent victims, and two unborn children, whose lives were senselessly stolen from them'.
It ended: "We came because we care."
Further Information
Publisher: TYRONE CONSTITUTION
Ref: TC/0077
Published Date: 20-Aug-98
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