TC/0712

Omagh Fund raises over £5m to date

THE magnitude of the casualty list of the Omagh bombing stunned the world, and led to outpourings of sympathy.
That was seen initially in the letters and cards of sympathy and the floral tributes brought and sent to the town.
Then plans were made for a more tangible support, through the setting up of a memorial fund.
Since then the fund has raised more than £5 million to go towards helping those who suffered injury or loss of a loved one.
The fund will, technically, be wound up on Saturday but money is likely to continue coming in after that date.
It will include the proceeds of the friendly football matches between Omagh Town, Chelsea and Manchester United, and the planned rugby game between Ulster and Ireland, scheduled to be played on September 17.
When the Omagh Fund was launched, Mr Michael Gallagher, chairman of the Omagh Self-Help and Support Group, said: "We have all got to sit on hard seats from now on, but maybe the fund will give us a cushion."
Mr Sean O'Dwyer, fund chairman, took inspiration from that off-the-cuff remark, and said he was delighted with the generosity of people all over Ireland, Britain and beyond.
"You can never recompense the people of Omagh for what has happened, but the fund has helped a lot of people and that is the important thing," he said.
Mr Brian Oliphant, fund manager, added: "We are so grateful for all the letters of thanks for the work that has been undertaken. Most people have been very positive and that has given us a certain amount of satisfaction. We very much appreciate it."
The Omagh Fund was set up by Omagh District Council during an emergency meeting only two days after the Market Street bombing.
Mr O'Dwyer, chairman, the Duke of Abercorn, Dr Clifford McCord, Mrs Joy McCormick and Dr Aideen McGinley were the five trustees who had the difficult task of distributing the money, with the help of Mr Oliphant, fund manager.
After the official launch at the fund's office in Lisnamallard House at the end of September, Mr O'Dwyer said he would be "very disappointed" if the fund did not eventually exceed £5 million.
At that time, a total of £165,000 was lodged in the fund's account, with £46,000 having already been distributed to claimants. Substantial pledges were offered from the GAA, golfer Darren Clarke, and the Irish Grocers' Association, who organised a charity event in the RDS in Dublin.
By the end of October, the fund had received £424,000, of which £267,600 had been paid out to those most in need.
The publication of the fund's first quarterly newsletter in November revealed that the total had risen to £693,580, and then to £866,685 by the end of the month but the trustees were repeatedly dogged by press criticism about how the money was being distributed.
Mr Oliphant retaliated, saying unfavourable press coverage of the fund should not be allowed to belittle the generosity of those who had contributed.
"If this adverse publicity serves to encourage people to raise more money for the fund, I will not be unhappy," he said.
He hoped that the Across the Bridge of Hope CD, launched in London on November 25, would provide a boost for the fund.
Mr Oliphant was proved correct when the fund hit the £1 million mark before Christmas a figure which did not include the substantial sums raised by the CD and The Late, Late Show, Gay Byrne's emotional Omagh special which was broadcast on RTE 1.
The programme featured performances by The Corrs, U2 and Brian Kennedy, and the audience consisted of people from Omagh and Buncrana who were affected by the bombing.
Despite this, criticism about the fund continued to be aired in the press, and members of the Omagh Support and Self Help Group rallied behind the trustees in an attempt to prevent this.
Allay fears
Mr Michael Gallagher, chairman of the support group, said most criticism of the fund was based on ill-founded rumours. He added that meetings between the two groups had helped to allay fears that money from the fund's coffers was being used inappropriately.
And as the grim six-month anniversary of the bomb approached, the fund total had climbed to £2 million.
After a meeting with experts from the Sperrin Lakeland Trust, the fund trustees decided to help those suffering from post traumatic stress despite that fact that other funds, such as those set up in Enniskillen and Dunblane, had not dealt with the area of mental health.
At a press conference at the start of March, it was announced that fundraising would end on the eve of the first anniversary of the Market Street bombing.
Mr John McKinney, chief executive of Omagh District Council, described August 14 as a "sensible" date to wind up the fund.
Mr O'Dwyer said: "We believe this is an appropriate and sensitive date to choose, and one which best honours the memory of those who died."
Mr Oliphant said he hoped the selection of a date would act as a catalyst to encourage people to speed up their fundraising activities.
And he acknowledged the contribution of sporting bodies when the fund broke the £4 million barrier at the end of May.
"Sporting connections have been very good to us, and this latest donation has given the fund a great boost. It has been a magnificent fundraising effort from every single person involved," he said.