THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE DONE THIS WILL MEET THEIR MAKER
The people who have done this will meet their maker
"There are memories that will never go away from that particular day. As one of those who was close to the bomb when it went off, I saw it at its worst."
Independent Omagh Town councillor retired firefighter, Patrick (Paddy) McGowan, still recounts the many horrific scenes that met him on August 15, 1998, as if it was yesterday.
"The memories that stick out in my mind are seeing some of the people who lost their Eves, the bodies that one saw and the bodies of those you knew, and the memories of the little children never leave you."
Mr McGowan was travelling along the Mountjoy Road when the bomb exploded at around 3.10pm, claiming the lives of 29 and the two unborn children.
"I was there in seconds. The explosion was horrific, the windows from some of the buildings where I was on the Mountjoy Road, were blown across the road. As soon as the explosion went off, there was a deafening silence. Amid all the injuries and all the hurt, there was a deafening silence and numbness.
"But people worked tirelessly to help everyone that they could," he said.
One of the first to arrive on the scene, Mr McGowan recalls the pandemonium that had broken out, seconds after the explosion.
"When I got there, there were no emergency services on the scene at that stage, and there were so many people running round asking the same question - 'What are we going to do?'
"I tried my best to do what I could and helping the injured. But I remember there was a bus appeared in front of me. It couldn't get through with all the debris and everything, so when I saw it I said, 'If you can walk at all, get yourself on the bus'.
"We carried people on to the bus. There must have been about 30 people on that first bus. And 80 to 90 people in all, between the buses that we sent up to the hospital that day."
Commending the work of the bus drivers, Mr McGowan said he believed many lives were saved as a result of their efforts.
"There were hundreds of people needing help, and the taxis and ambulances could only bring a few people at a time, while people were still suffering in the town. Those who helped the helpless, those are the people that need to be complimented for what they did that day, they are the best 'forgotten' people. I was only assisting them, I did nothing exceptional."
The ex-firefighter admitted that in all his years of experience in dealing with emergencies, nothing had prepared him for what he saw that Saturday.
"I suppose I should have been more hardened to the situation having been a fireman for so many years. I thought I had seen the worst of it over the years, but I hadn't until that day."
Ten years on, the day Omagh was ripped apart still plays on the town councillor's mind.
"There has been many's a night that I couldn't sleep thinking about it.
"There are other people out there that would have even worse memories than I have - those who lost family members and were injured. But I can assure you that for many's a night, people didn't sleep well. To me it certainly doesn't feel like 10 years since it happened, it feels more like 10 days ago and the same goes for the families.
"It saddens me that those people are still suffering."
He admits that he believes many of the families still scarred by the loss of loved ones that day will never be able to move on.
"I don't think they will ever find peace. People will go to their graves with memories and that's a very sad thought."
Despite this, though, the town councillor praises the people of Omagh for how they have come out' the other side of the darkest day in the town's history.
"I think the town has risen from the ashes. But I suppose there are people who find it hard to walk up that street now. I can imagine that.
"But life still goes on, and that doesn't take away from the memories."
Mr McGowan says he feels that this year's anniversary has a certain hint of sadness not felt in years prior.
"Ten years on it is still extremely difficult, there's something about the tenth anniversary, or the 20th anniversary, it's very sad. It's the looking back at everything that has happened.
"I'm sure the people that did this to Omagh must feel shame for what they have done. They should. Their conscience should prick them for what they have done and they should confess what they have done, because they will meet their maker some day too."
"There are memories that will never go away from that particular day. As one of those who was close to the bomb when it went off, I saw it at its worst."
Independent Omagh Town councillor retired firefighter, Patrick (Paddy) McGowan, still recounts the many horrific scenes that met him on August 15, 1998, as if it was yesterday.
"The memories that stick out in my mind are seeing some of the people who lost their Eves, the bodies that one saw and the bodies of those you knew, and the memories of the little children never leave you."
Mr McGowan was travelling along the Mountjoy Road when the bomb exploded at around 3.10pm, claiming the lives of 29 and the two unborn children.
"I was there in seconds. The explosion was horrific, the windows from some of the buildings where I was on the Mountjoy Road, were blown across the road. As soon as the explosion went off, there was a deafening silence. Amid all the injuries and all the hurt, there was a deafening silence and numbness.
"But people worked tirelessly to help everyone that they could," he said.
One of the first to arrive on the scene, Mr McGowan recalls the pandemonium that had broken out, seconds after the explosion.
"When I got there, there were no emergency services on the scene at that stage, and there were so many people running round asking the same question - 'What are we going to do?'
"I tried my best to do what I could and helping the injured. But I remember there was a bus appeared in front of me. It couldn't get through with all the debris and everything, so when I saw it I said, 'If you can walk at all, get yourself on the bus'.
"We carried people on to the bus. There must have been about 30 people on that first bus. And 80 to 90 people in all, between the buses that we sent up to the hospital that day."
Commending the work of the bus drivers, Mr McGowan said he believed many lives were saved as a result of their efforts.
"There were hundreds of people needing help, and the taxis and ambulances could only bring a few people at a time, while people were still suffering in the town. Those who helped the helpless, those are the people that need to be complimented for what they did that day, they are the best 'forgotten' people. I was only assisting them, I did nothing exceptional."
The ex-firefighter admitted that in all his years of experience in dealing with emergencies, nothing had prepared him for what he saw that Saturday.
"I suppose I should have been more hardened to the situation having been a fireman for so many years. I thought I had seen the worst of it over the years, but I hadn't until that day."
Ten years on, the day Omagh was ripped apart still plays on the town councillor's mind.
"There has been many's a night that I couldn't sleep thinking about it.
"There are other people out there that would have even worse memories than I have - those who lost family members and were injured. But I can assure you that for many's a night, people didn't sleep well. To me it certainly doesn't feel like 10 years since it happened, it feels more like 10 days ago and the same goes for the families.
"It saddens me that those people are still suffering."
He admits that he believes many of the families still scarred by the loss of loved ones that day will never be able to move on.
"I don't think they will ever find peace. People will go to their graves with memories and that's a very sad thought."
Despite this, though, the town councillor praises the people of Omagh for how they have come out' the other side of the darkest day in the town's history.
"I think the town has risen from the ashes. But I suppose there are people who find it hard to walk up that street now. I can imagine that.
"But life still goes on, and that doesn't take away from the memories."
Mr McGowan says he feels that this year's anniversary has a certain hint of sadness not felt in years prior.
"Ten years on it is still extremely difficult, there's something about the tenth anniversary, or the 20th anniversary, it's very sad. It's the looking back at everything that has happened.
"I'm sure the people that did this to Omagh must feel shame for what they have done. They should. Their conscience should prick them for what they have done and they should confess what they have done, because they will meet their maker some day too."
Further Information
Publisher: TYRONE CONSTITUTION
Ref: TC10An/18
Published Date: 14-Aug-08
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