FOUR QUIZZED AFTER ATTACK ON MEMORIAL GARDEN
Frenzied attack' on memorial garden
"It is disgraceful that vandals should have treated the memorials of those who lost their lives and those who were seriously injured in the bomb with such callous disregard."
The Republic's foreign minister, Mr. Brian Cowen, condemned the vandalism as 'depraved and wanton desecration'.
Omagh District Council newly-appointed chief executive, Mr. Danny McSorley, said the council was shocked at the wilful destruction of the memorial garden and in order to minimise distress to the families it felt it had a responsibility to reinstate the garden as quickly as possible. "Council staff proceeded to make good the damage once authorised to do so by the RUC," Mr. McSorley said. His words of condemnation were echoed by the council chairman, Mr. Liam McQuaid.
West Tyrone MP, Mr. William Thompson, visited the scene and said he was horrified that the memorial garden should be desecrated in this way.
He hoped that those responsible would be quickly brought to justice and punished for their actions.
Mr. Michael Gallagher, chairman of Omagh Self-Help Group, described the attack on the memorial garden as "frenzied" and "sinister" as he watched the clean-up operation.
"They [the vandals] appear to have been very thorough and it seems very sinister that it should happen shortly after people in the town had a very positive meeting with Terry Waite to launch the new CD Rom on the bomb," he said.
"It is beyond a normal person's comprehension that someone could come into a place as sacred as this to so many people and systematically set out to vandalise it. It is very hurtful and very suspicious," he said.
Mr. Gallagher, whose son Adrian was killed in the Omagh bombing, also thanked those who had offered support in the wake of the attack.
"I even heard from Mr. Dick Nolan, assistant director of the National Security Council in the White House, who I had met in January. He described it as an evil deed and offered support and sympathy."
The vice-chairman of the Omagh Self-Help Group, Mr. Stanley McCombe, whose wife, Ann, died in the bomb, witnessed the damage and said he felt sick. He described those who could do such a thing at a place like that as 'vermin'.
"There is lots of talk about CCTV surveillance cameras in this town. Surely this is one good reason to push the scheme forward. It is strange that it is already up-and-running in Fivemiletown, which is a much smaller town than Omagh."
He said that what had happened was an attack on everyone in the community.
"This Garden of Remembrance is not for one side or another. It is a cross-community garden where everyone can come and do."
Referring to Mr. Waite's visit the previous night, he said he was sure the former hostage was a very sad person and sickened when he heard what happened.
He said the destruction done had taken some time and was not just carried out in a few minutes.
"It was pure vandalism of the worst kind," said Mr. McCombe.
Shocked
Ms.Liz Gibson, whose sister, Esther, was killed in the bomb, said she was shocked and angered by the damage and it was terrible news to waken up to.
As she surveyed the way small plants had been hurled some distance by the culprits, she said it appeared to be "organised vandalism of the highest degree".
Omagh district councillor, Mr. Paddy McGowan, was one of the first on the scene of the destruction around 7.30am and said that words failed him.
"I could not believe what I saw. As I looked at the deprivation I felt a strange loneliness. I simply could not comprehend how anyone could do such an awful thing."
Another councillor, Mr. Johnny McLaughlin, in a statement said that nothing was sacred anymore to such vandals.
"There are no words strong enough to condemn such an outrage on a whole community.
"What happened in the early hours of Friday takes street-thuggery and evil mindedness to new depths. This is a very special place where everyone from Omagh or those passing through through the town can pause and remember those so callously murdered on August 15,1998, and pray for the relatives and friends bereaved.
"These people, struggling valiantly to rebuild their shattered lives, have once again borne the brunt of a cruel, sadistic, evil element in our midst."
Mr. McLaughlin added: "Perhaps CCTV cameras might not be such a bad idea after all, if they could help trap those involved in such evil acts".
And he added: "Finally I would like to thank the workers for diligently and professionally restoring the garden ready for the re-dedication ceremony on Sunday."
UUP West Tyrone Assembly member, Mr. Derek Hussey, said he reacted with utter dismay when he heard about the desecration of the garden.
"My first thought were of the feelings of hurt which must have been experienced by relatives of victims of the Omagh bomb. It is very hard to fathom this type of mindless vandalism being committed in the midst of a community which has suffered so much.
"I would congratulate the officers and staff of Omagh District Council who reacted so quickly to restore the garden. However, the incident must
remain a scar on the minds of those relatives affected."
Ashamed
West Tyrone DUP Assembly member, Mr. Oliver Gibson, said: "I feel almost ashamed that anyone would do this in a place deliberately set up in memory of our family and friends who were killed."
Another Assemblyman, Mr. Joe Byrne, of the SDLP, said he was very annoyed that anybody would want to interfere with or destroy the memorial garden.
"It is totally deplorable that some people are so badly motivated that they are prepared to cause even further suffering for the people of Omagh."
Mr. Pat Doherty, Sinn Fein Assemblyman, described the attack as beyond human comprehension.
"It is clear that there are people out there who have no respect for the dead, the injured or for those who have lost their loved ones," Mr. Doherty said.
"This disgraceful type of behaviour only heightens the trauma of the families and those responsible must be labelled for what they are mindless and sick."
Meanwhile, the President of the Methodist Church in Ireland, Rev. Kenneth Todd, said he utterly condemned the desecration of the garden.
"This is not just an attack on the memory of the dead and their families but also on the citizens of Omagh. It is one more demonstration of the lack of respect for the sacred in today's society," Mr. Todd said.
"It is disgraceful that vandals should have treated the memorials of those who lost their lives and those who were seriously injured in the bomb with such callous disregard."
The Republic's foreign minister, Mr. Brian Cowen, condemned the vandalism as 'depraved and wanton desecration'.
Omagh District Council newly-appointed chief executive, Mr. Danny McSorley, said the council was shocked at the wilful destruction of the memorial garden and in order to minimise distress to the families it felt it had a responsibility to reinstate the garden as quickly as possible. "Council staff proceeded to make good the damage once authorised to do so by the RUC," Mr. McSorley said. His words of condemnation were echoed by the council chairman, Mr. Liam McQuaid.
West Tyrone MP, Mr. William Thompson, visited the scene and said he was horrified that the memorial garden should be desecrated in this way.
He hoped that those responsible would be quickly brought to justice and punished for their actions.
Mr. Michael Gallagher, chairman of Omagh Self-Help Group, described the attack on the memorial garden as "frenzied" and "sinister" as he watched the clean-up operation.
"They [the vandals] appear to have been very thorough and it seems very sinister that it should happen shortly after people in the town had a very positive meeting with Terry Waite to launch the new CD Rom on the bomb," he said.
"It is beyond a normal person's comprehension that someone could come into a place as sacred as this to so many people and systematically set out to vandalise it. It is very hurtful and very suspicious," he said.
Mr. Gallagher, whose son Adrian was killed in the Omagh bombing, also thanked those who had offered support in the wake of the attack.
"I even heard from Mr. Dick Nolan, assistant director of the National Security Council in the White House, who I had met in January. He described it as an evil deed and offered support and sympathy."
The vice-chairman of the Omagh Self-Help Group, Mr. Stanley McCombe, whose wife, Ann, died in the bomb, witnessed the damage and said he felt sick. He described those who could do such a thing at a place like that as 'vermin'.
"There is lots of talk about CCTV surveillance cameras in this town. Surely this is one good reason to push the scheme forward. It is strange that it is already up-and-running in Fivemiletown, which is a much smaller town than Omagh."
He said that what had happened was an attack on everyone in the community.
"This Garden of Remembrance is not for one side or another. It is a cross-community garden where everyone can come and do."
Referring to Mr. Waite's visit the previous night, he said he was sure the former hostage was a very sad person and sickened when he heard what happened.
He said the destruction done had taken some time and was not just carried out in a few minutes.
"It was pure vandalism of the worst kind," said Mr. McCombe.
Shocked
Ms.Liz Gibson, whose sister, Esther, was killed in the bomb, said she was shocked and angered by the damage and it was terrible news to waken up to.
As she surveyed the way small plants had been hurled some distance by the culprits, she said it appeared to be "organised vandalism of the highest degree".
Omagh district councillor, Mr. Paddy McGowan, was one of the first on the scene of the destruction around 7.30am and said that words failed him.
"I could not believe what I saw. As I looked at the deprivation I felt a strange loneliness. I simply could not comprehend how anyone could do such an awful thing."
Another councillor, Mr. Johnny McLaughlin, in a statement said that nothing was sacred anymore to such vandals.
"There are no words strong enough to condemn such an outrage on a whole community.
"What happened in the early hours of Friday takes street-thuggery and evil mindedness to new depths. This is a very special place where everyone from Omagh or those passing through through the town can pause and remember those so callously murdered on August 15,1998, and pray for the relatives and friends bereaved.
"These people, struggling valiantly to rebuild their shattered lives, have once again borne the brunt of a cruel, sadistic, evil element in our midst."
Mr. McLaughlin added: "Perhaps CCTV cameras might not be such a bad idea after all, if they could help trap those involved in such evil acts".
And he added: "Finally I would like to thank the workers for diligently and professionally restoring the garden ready for the re-dedication ceremony on Sunday."
UUP West Tyrone Assembly member, Mr. Derek Hussey, said he reacted with utter dismay when he heard about the desecration of the garden.
"My first thought were of the feelings of hurt which must have been experienced by relatives of victims of the Omagh bomb. It is very hard to fathom this type of mindless vandalism being committed in the midst of a community which has suffered so much.
"I would congratulate the officers and staff of Omagh District Council who reacted so quickly to restore the garden. However, the incident must
remain a scar on the minds of those relatives affected."
Ashamed
West Tyrone DUP Assembly member, Mr. Oliver Gibson, said: "I feel almost ashamed that anyone would do this in a place deliberately set up in memory of our family and friends who were killed."
Another Assemblyman, Mr. Joe Byrne, of the SDLP, said he was very annoyed that anybody would want to interfere with or destroy the memorial garden.
"It is totally deplorable that some people are so badly motivated that they are prepared to cause even further suffering for the people of Omagh."
Mr. Pat Doherty, Sinn Fein Assemblyman, described the attack as beyond human comprehension.
"It is clear that there are people out there who have no respect for the dead, the injured or for those who have lost their loved ones," Mr. Doherty said.
"This disgraceful type of behaviour only heightens the trauma of the families and those responsible must be labelled for what they are mindless and sick."
Meanwhile, the President of the Methodist Church in Ireland, Rev. Kenneth Todd, said he utterly condemned the desecration of the garden.
"This is not just an attack on the memory of the dead and their families but also on the citizens of Omagh. It is one more demonstration of the lack of respect for the sacred in today's society," Mr. Todd said.
Further Information
Publisher: TYRONE CONSTITUTION
Ref: TC/0871
Published Date: 03-May-01
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