A TIME TO REMEMBER
Remembering Omagh: August 15, 1998
A time to remember
by Emma Stewart
On Friday at 3.10pm Omagh will stand once more in silence to remember those lost 10 years ago in an atrocity visited on its peaceful streets.
Twenty-nine lives, and those of unborn twins, were claimed by a dissident republican car bomb, which left hundreds injured, families decimated, and Tyrone's county town forever united in grief.
At a civic ceremony tomorrow (Friday) Omagh will remember those who were lost, those who live with the legacy of that day, and also those who battled so valiantly to save lives in its aftermath.
Remembrance will continue on Sunday with a service in Omagh's new memorial garden - the Garden of Light - hosted by some of the bereaved families.
As the media spotlight turns once more to the scene of Northern Ireland's single worst terrorist attack, Omagh remembers ordinary people, doing ordinary things, on an otherwise ordinary day that was to alter the course of so many lives.
Among the lives claimed that day were those of three young boys on a day trip from Buncrana, Co Donegal - James Barker, 12, Shaun McLaughlin, 12, and Oran Doherty, 8. They died alongside 12-year-old Spanish exchange student, Fernando Blasco Baselga, from Madrid, Spain, and group leader, Rocio Abad Ramos, also from Madrid, who were staying with families in the town. The remaining 24, plus unborn twins, all came from Omagh and surrounding districts.
While the pursuit of justice keeps August 15,1998, firmly in the minds of the watching world, for those closer-to-home tomorrow's 10th anniversary of that terrifying day has brought a multitude of painful memories to the surface.
At this difficult and emotional time, the people of Omagh have been invited to join in remembering and honouring all those who died, and those who are still suffering.
The 10th anniversary commemorative ceremony of the Omagh Bombing will be held at 3pm on Friday, August 15, along Drumragh Avenue, adjacent to the memorial garden.
Among the VIP guests attending the service will be Irish premier, Brian Cowan, senior representation from the Northern Ireland Executive, the Northern Ireland Office, Spanish Government and the US Consul.
The ceremony provides an opportunity for the bereaved, the injured, the emergency and support services and all those affected by the bomb to come together with the wider community in an act of remembrance.
The ceremony will include the dedication of the Garden of Light memorial.
A statement from the council notes: "Invitations have been issued to all the bereaved families many of whom are attending. However, the decision to attend is a personal one to be taken by each individual family. The council recognises that the 10th anniversary of the Omagh Bombing is a difficult and emotional time and it will respect the individual decisions reached."
Pre-ceremony music will be provided by St Eugene's Band as crowds gather just yards from the site of the 1998 blast, while the introit will be sung by the Omagh Waterford Choir.
The choir will comprise 14 singers from the Omagh Peace Choir and 12 from Waterford. A spokesperson said: "Performing at the 10th anniversary of the Omagh Bomb is a great honour for us, and especially for those members of the choir whose hometown it is, as it gives us a chance to give something back to our community, to help spread our message of peace, and try and make a difference through the music."
A moment of silence will be held at 3.10pm, to mark the instant the car bomb exploded on Omagh's Market Street.
Guest speaker at the event will be Terry Waite, who in January 1987 -while negotiating for the release of Western hostages in Lebanon - himself was taken captive and remained in captivity for 1,763 days, the first four years of which were spent in total solitary confinement.
The gathered crowd will then be asked to join in the Dedication to Peace:
"We were not made for this,
Neither for the taking of our own,
Nor the darkening of the light.
For this, earth's men and women were not made.
And now,
In love and hope,
To the suffering and the threatened
We pledge the living of our days."
Following hymns, a reading, and a mother's reflection, the official opening of the memorial garden will take place, with the cutting of a ribbon, switching on of the heliostats and the unveiling of the glass monument at Market Street.
Meanwhile, on Sunday, August 17, family members associated with Omagh Support and Self Help Group will host a service of remembrance in the new memorial garden.
"The families feel it is important that in addition to the service organised by Omagh District Council on Friday, August 15, that that they arrange their own service as they have done in the previous four years.
"Following the success of last year's service this year's is designed to provide comfort to the bereaved, injured and traumatised families while being uplifting in nature. It will be an inter-denominational service of music, verse and prayer."
There will be representatives in attendance from the British, Irish and Spanish Governments - Ronnie Armour, the deputy director of policing, Orla Tunney and Ruairi de Burca, representatives from Irish Foreign Affairs, Veronica Cawley, from the Irish Labour Party, and Consul General of Spain, Dr Valdes. A statement from the group added: "As always we will be expressing our sympathies with the many victims of terrorist related atrocities throughout the world. This year we would especially thank the media - both written and broadcasting - for never abandoning or forgetting us during the past 10 years.
"We invite and welcome everyone to come along and join us on the August 17 to remember and honour all those who died and those who are still suffering."
A time to remember
by Emma Stewart
On Friday at 3.10pm Omagh will stand once more in silence to remember those lost 10 years ago in an atrocity visited on its peaceful streets.
Twenty-nine lives, and those of unborn twins, were claimed by a dissident republican car bomb, which left hundreds injured, families decimated, and Tyrone's county town forever united in grief.
At a civic ceremony tomorrow (Friday) Omagh will remember those who were lost, those who live with the legacy of that day, and also those who battled so valiantly to save lives in its aftermath.
Remembrance will continue on Sunday with a service in Omagh's new memorial garden - the Garden of Light - hosted by some of the bereaved families.
As the media spotlight turns once more to the scene of Northern Ireland's single worst terrorist attack, Omagh remembers ordinary people, doing ordinary things, on an otherwise ordinary day that was to alter the course of so many lives.
Among the lives claimed that day were those of three young boys on a day trip from Buncrana, Co Donegal - James Barker, 12, Shaun McLaughlin, 12, and Oran Doherty, 8. They died alongside 12-year-old Spanish exchange student, Fernando Blasco Baselga, from Madrid, Spain, and group leader, Rocio Abad Ramos, also from Madrid, who were staying with families in the town. The remaining 24, plus unborn twins, all came from Omagh and surrounding districts.
While the pursuit of justice keeps August 15,1998, firmly in the minds of the watching world, for those closer-to-home tomorrow's 10th anniversary of that terrifying day has brought a multitude of painful memories to the surface.
At this difficult and emotional time, the people of Omagh have been invited to join in remembering and honouring all those who died, and those who are still suffering.
The 10th anniversary commemorative ceremony of the Omagh Bombing will be held at 3pm on Friday, August 15, along Drumragh Avenue, adjacent to the memorial garden.
Among the VIP guests attending the service will be Irish premier, Brian Cowan, senior representation from the Northern Ireland Executive, the Northern Ireland Office, Spanish Government and the US Consul.
The ceremony provides an opportunity for the bereaved, the injured, the emergency and support services and all those affected by the bomb to come together with the wider community in an act of remembrance.
The ceremony will include the dedication of the Garden of Light memorial.
A statement from the council notes: "Invitations have been issued to all the bereaved families many of whom are attending. However, the decision to attend is a personal one to be taken by each individual family. The council recognises that the 10th anniversary of the Omagh Bombing is a difficult and emotional time and it will respect the individual decisions reached."
Pre-ceremony music will be provided by St Eugene's Band as crowds gather just yards from the site of the 1998 blast, while the introit will be sung by the Omagh Waterford Choir.
The choir will comprise 14 singers from the Omagh Peace Choir and 12 from Waterford. A spokesperson said: "Performing at the 10th anniversary of the Omagh Bomb is a great honour for us, and especially for those members of the choir whose hometown it is, as it gives us a chance to give something back to our community, to help spread our message of peace, and try and make a difference through the music."
A moment of silence will be held at 3.10pm, to mark the instant the car bomb exploded on Omagh's Market Street.
Guest speaker at the event will be Terry Waite, who in January 1987 -while negotiating for the release of Western hostages in Lebanon - himself was taken captive and remained in captivity for 1,763 days, the first four years of which were spent in total solitary confinement.
The gathered crowd will then be asked to join in the Dedication to Peace:
"We were not made for this,
Neither for the taking of our own,
Nor the darkening of the light.
For this, earth's men and women were not made.
And now,
In love and hope,
To the suffering and the threatened
We pledge the living of our days."
Following hymns, a reading, and a mother's reflection, the official opening of the memorial garden will take place, with the cutting of a ribbon, switching on of the heliostats and the unveiling of the glass monument at Market Street.
Meanwhile, on Sunday, August 17, family members associated with Omagh Support and Self Help Group will host a service of remembrance in the new memorial garden.
"The families feel it is important that in addition to the service organised by Omagh District Council on Friday, August 15, that that they arrange their own service as they have done in the previous four years.
"Following the success of last year's service this year's is designed to provide comfort to the bereaved, injured and traumatised families while being uplifting in nature. It will be an inter-denominational service of music, verse and prayer."
There will be representatives in attendance from the British, Irish and Spanish Governments - Ronnie Armour, the deputy director of policing, Orla Tunney and Ruairi de Burca, representatives from Irish Foreign Affairs, Veronica Cawley, from the Irish Labour Party, and Consul General of Spain, Dr Valdes. A statement from the group added: "As always we will be expressing our sympathies with the many victims of terrorist related atrocities throughout the world. This year we would especially thank the media - both written and broadcasting - for never abandoning or forgetting us during the past 10 years.
"We invite and welcome everyone to come along and join us on the August 17 to remember and honour all those who died and those who are still suffering."
Further Information
Publisher: TYRONE CONSTITUTION
Ref: TC10An/07
Published Date: 14-Aug-08
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