FULL CROSS-BORDER PUBLIC INQUIRY ONLY PROPER TRIBUTE TO DEAD - SELF-HELP GROUP CHAIRMAN
Full cross-border public inquiry only proper tribute to dead - Self-help group chairman
Families remember loved ones with poignant separate anniversary service
by Stephen McKiernan
While summer sunshine rays poured on the newly-opened Garden of Light on Sunday afternoon, tears, too, were shed in plenty, as the relatives of the Omagh bomb victims held their commemoration service, along with hundreds of Omagh's solemn public, to mark the 10th anniversary of their loved ones' death.
Opening the interdenominational service, chairman of Omagh Support and Self Help Group - which hosted the event - Michael Gallagher, whose son, Aiden, died in the bomb, answered the question of why there were two separate services held to remember those who died.
"The question is not why has there been two services, but rather 'why would there not?'
"We will continue to do what is right for us. The only proper tribute to the dead of Omagh 10 years on must be a full, cross-border, public enquiry. This should be backed by all, otherwise the systems continue to fail, and those people should hold their heads in shame, and not make the gestures, the token gestures, that they have done in recent weeks.
"We have not received justice in Omagh," continued Mr Gallagher. "Sadly, it's not wreaths that we need, but justice and truth."
Rev Donal Gillespie, a parish priest who is native of Omagh, who now curates near Bridgend in Wales, opened the religious celebrations, reading from Corinthians 13:4-8.
Amy Reid, a cousin of Aiden Gallagher, began emotional readings from bereaved family members, with a rendition of Thomas Moore's 'Oft in a Stilly Night.'
Former Newtownstewart country and gospel singer, Lesley Matthews, who now lives in St Johnston, Donegal, and has taken part in many of the family services this decade, also sang the hymn 'This Side of Heaven.'
An indication of both the local and international grief felt since the bomb was typified with the reading of a Spanish poem, 'Solo le pido a Dios' by local man, Nic Cassidy, of Omagh Ethnic Support Group.
Perhaps most heartrending of all was Claire Radford's tearful 'Do not stand by my grave and weep.' Claire's 16-year-old brother, Alan, was killed in the bomb.
The full list of the dead was read by members of Pax Christi Ireland, a Catholic peace movement, which has sections on all continents in the world. The list was ended with a call to pray for all those who were injured and traumatised by the bomb and all victims of international terrorism worldwide. A minute's silence was then dedicated to the dead.
Psalm 46, read by Chris Boodle, a British Army padre, based in Ballykinlar, followed a Hebrew prayer, also read in English, by Cyril Rosenburg.
The families of the bomb victims then laid flowers at the garden's inscription. The religious ceremony was finished with the Lord's Prayer, and followed by the final blessing, led by Fr Gillespie.
Beirut hostage, Terry Waite, guest speaker at the council-led service on Friday, also sent a message, as he could not attend due to an engagement with the Society of British Japanese Prisoners of War.
"I ask you to do one thing and that's look to the future," said Mr Waite. "There is a new generation growing up in Omagh and it's to them we should look. Standing memorials have their place, but living memorials have tremendous value. Could a scholarship not be established, in the name of the young people who died 10 years ago? Perhaps this scholarship could raise money to send a young person from the town to the United Nations, or to university to study peace studies. If something along these lines could be developed, it would be one way of bringing good from the tragedy."
Michael Gallagher then paid tribute to a number of people and organisations, who have taken part in the family services over the years, including clerics, Lesley Mathews and St Eugene's Band, who provided the music. He also offered thanks to the media for consistently keeping the families' plight in the public eye.
Indeed, the public rift between council and some families, which threatened to sour the anniversary, and had been portrayed through the media, had an opportunity for some form of mediation, with the presence of Dr Jo Deehan, invited in her official capacity as deputy chair of Omagh District Council.
"I was asked to be here in my official capacity," Dr Deehan said after the ceremony. "On that terrible day in 1998, I was amongst my people as a doctor and I'm very proud to be amongst my people to share with them in the commemoration of those who were killed and injured on that dreadful day.
"I hope that the relatives of the bereaved families will be aware of the love and the support that they have from all of the community from all over Ireland and internationally. Certainly, I felt that love very keenly by all the prayers and all the people who have given messages of hope and I'm very pleased to have been able to share in that experience.
"I'm pleased to be here to represent the council, as a council we are here to serve the people. The council has always fully respected the position of the bereaved families and that will continue," she added.
The presence of a number of the town's clergy, as well as those invited to take part in the official ceremony, may also go some way to heal a rift which threatened to deepen over the apparent initial decision by local clerics to attend the council-led service - and not at the family-led service.
Rev Brian Darcy, of the Graan, Enniskillen, said he was happy to be there and share in the commemorations.
"It was a beautiful service, it's very important the families are allowed to grieve at their own pace and in their own place. Enniskillen people have tried to sort their grief, so there are similarities between the two neighbouring towns. It will take years, maybe never, for some people to overcome their grief because, for some, it's impossible and we have to understand that too and encourage others to move on."
Indeed, speaking after the service, Fr Gillespie, who travels from Bridgend each year for the service, offered an endorsement of the idea of a living memorial for the town and spoke of the worldwide hope Omagh has given people who have suffered, not least his own Welsh parish, devastated by a rash of teen suicides in the past year.
"I was here on the night the bomb took place and was with the people at the leisure centre. I went to the hospital first of all, with the outpatients and the walking wounded. It was devastating to see so many local people who I knew and who knew me.
"I feel I'm with the people, coming back here today. Just to hear that message from Terry Waite about the scholarship, I think it would be great for the people of the town, I think it would help immensely.
"The situation in Bridgend has been terrible for the society there and we do hope that communities from there and from Omagh can take solace from each other, in the strength both have shown."
As the town now attempts to settle back into some kind on normality following the influx of world media attention, Michael Gallagher paid tribute to the town for its continued support, which he acknowledged vindicated their fight for the implementation of a full, cross-border public enquiry.
The presence of former Police Ombudsman, Dame Nuala O'Loan, who produced a damning critique of the bomb investigation by the PSNI, gave was a powerful backing of this cause.
"I certainly hope we do have that widespread support (for an inquiry) that we need and we have seen some of the senior politicians here on Friday voicing their support for that but we need to get it on the agenda," said Mr Gallagher.
"It was a great gathering of people. We have enjoyed great local support but, even more important, we have wider support. We had people here from Belfast, Armagh, Enniskillen and Derry, from all over the country and I just hope those people got as much out of it as I did. I always find comfort in coming together with people who have suffered as a result of the troubles and many of those people haven't found justice, just as we have not. There is common bondage there.
"We held the service today and we welcomed everyone. We think it's important that everyone who felt they could, came along. We do feel there needs to be a building up of relationships in the town, we're strong and positive about how we need to move forward, and I agreed with what Terry Waite said, that we need to have some ambassador from Omagh, some young person that will carry that message of peace, reconciliation and hope into the future."
Families remember loved ones with poignant separate anniversary service
by Stephen McKiernan
While summer sunshine rays poured on the newly-opened Garden of Light on Sunday afternoon, tears, too, were shed in plenty, as the relatives of the Omagh bomb victims held their commemoration service, along with hundreds of Omagh's solemn public, to mark the 10th anniversary of their loved ones' death.
Opening the interdenominational service, chairman of Omagh Support and Self Help Group - which hosted the event - Michael Gallagher, whose son, Aiden, died in the bomb, answered the question of why there were two separate services held to remember those who died.
"The question is not why has there been two services, but rather 'why would there not?'
"We will continue to do what is right for us. The only proper tribute to the dead of Omagh 10 years on must be a full, cross-border, public enquiry. This should be backed by all, otherwise the systems continue to fail, and those people should hold their heads in shame, and not make the gestures, the token gestures, that they have done in recent weeks.
"We have not received justice in Omagh," continued Mr Gallagher. "Sadly, it's not wreaths that we need, but justice and truth."
Rev Donal Gillespie, a parish priest who is native of Omagh, who now curates near Bridgend in Wales, opened the religious celebrations, reading from Corinthians 13:4-8.
Amy Reid, a cousin of Aiden Gallagher, began emotional readings from bereaved family members, with a rendition of Thomas Moore's 'Oft in a Stilly Night.'
Former Newtownstewart country and gospel singer, Lesley Matthews, who now lives in St Johnston, Donegal, and has taken part in many of the family services this decade, also sang the hymn 'This Side of Heaven.'
An indication of both the local and international grief felt since the bomb was typified with the reading of a Spanish poem, 'Solo le pido a Dios' by local man, Nic Cassidy, of Omagh Ethnic Support Group.
Perhaps most heartrending of all was Claire Radford's tearful 'Do not stand by my grave and weep.' Claire's 16-year-old brother, Alan, was killed in the bomb.
The full list of the dead was read by members of Pax Christi Ireland, a Catholic peace movement, which has sections on all continents in the world. The list was ended with a call to pray for all those who were injured and traumatised by the bomb and all victims of international terrorism worldwide. A minute's silence was then dedicated to the dead.
Psalm 46, read by Chris Boodle, a British Army padre, based in Ballykinlar, followed a Hebrew prayer, also read in English, by Cyril Rosenburg.
The families of the bomb victims then laid flowers at the garden's inscription. The religious ceremony was finished with the Lord's Prayer, and followed by the final blessing, led by Fr Gillespie.
Beirut hostage, Terry Waite, guest speaker at the council-led service on Friday, also sent a message, as he could not attend due to an engagement with the Society of British Japanese Prisoners of War.
"I ask you to do one thing and that's look to the future," said Mr Waite. "There is a new generation growing up in Omagh and it's to them we should look. Standing memorials have their place, but living memorials have tremendous value. Could a scholarship not be established, in the name of the young people who died 10 years ago? Perhaps this scholarship could raise money to send a young person from the town to the United Nations, or to university to study peace studies. If something along these lines could be developed, it would be one way of bringing good from the tragedy."
Michael Gallagher then paid tribute to a number of people and organisations, who have taken part in the family services over the years, including clerics, Lesley Mathews and St Eugene's Band, who provided the music. He also offered thanks to the media for consistently keeping the families' plight in the public eye.
Indeed, the public rift between council and some families, which threatened to sour the anniversary, and had been portrayed through the media, had an opportunity for some form of mediation, with the presence of Dr Jo Deehan, invited in her official capacity as deputy chair of Omagh District Council.
"I was asked to be here in my official capacity," Dr Deehan said after the ceremony. "On that terrible day in 1998, I was amongst my people as a doctor and I'm very proud to be amongst my people to share with them in the commemoration of those who were killed and injured on that dreadful day.
"I hope that the relatives of the bereaved families will be aware of the love and the support that they have from all of the community from all over Ireland and internationally. Certainly, I felt that love very keenly by all the prayers and all the people who have given messages of hope and I'm very pleased to have been able to share in that experience.
"I'm pleased to be here to represent the council, as a council we are here to serve the people. The council has always fully respected the position of the bereaved families and that will continue," she added.
The presence of a number of the town's clergy, as well as those invited to take part in the official ceremony, may also go some way to heal a rift which threatened to deepen over the apparent initial decision by local clerics to attend the council-led service - and not at the family-led service.
Rev Brian Darcy, of the Graan, Enniskillen, said he was happy to be there and share in the commemorations.
"It was a beautiful service, it's very important the families are allowed to grieve at their own pace and in their own place. Enniskillen people have tried to sort their grief, so there are similarities between the two neighbouring towns. It will take years, maybe never, for some people to overcome their grief because, for some, it's impossible and we have to understand that too and encourage others to move on."
Indeed, speaking after the service, Fr Gillespie, who travels from Bridgend each year for the service, offered an endorsement of the idea of a living memorial for the town and spoke of the worldwide hope Omagh has given people who have suffered, not least his own Welsh parish, devastated by a rash of teen suicides in the past year.
"I was here on the night the bomb took place and was with the people at the leisure centre. I went to the hospital first of all, with the outpatients and the walking wounded. It was devastating to see so many local people who I knew and who knew me.
"I feel I'm with the people, coming back here today. Just to hear that message from Terry Waite about the scholarship, I think it would be great for the people of the town, I think it would help immensely.
"The situation in Bridgend has been terrible for the society there and we do hope that communities from there and from Omagh can take solace from each other, in the strength both have shown."
As the town now attempts to settle back into some kind on normality following the influx of world media attention, Michael Gallagher paid tribute to the town for its continued support, which he acknowledged vindicated their fight for the implementation of a full, cross-border public enquiry.
The presence of former Police Ombudsman, Dame Nuala O'Loan, who produced a damning critique of the bomb investigation by the PSNI, gave was a powerful backing of this cause.
"I certainly hope we do have that widespread support (for an inquiry) that we need and we have seen some of the senior politicians here on Friday voicing their support for that but we need to get it on the agenda," said Mr Gallagher.
"It was a great gathering of people. We have enjoyed great local support but, even more important, we have wider support. We had people here from Belfast, Armagh, Enniskillen and Derry, from all over the country and I just hope those people got as much out of it as I did. I always find comfort in coming together with people who have suffered as a result of the troubles and many of those people haven't found justice, just as we have not. There is common bondage there.
"We held the service today and we welcomed everyone. We think it's important that everyone who felt they could, came along. We do feel there needs to be a building up of relationships in the town, we're strong and positive about how we need to move forward, and I agreed with what Terry Waite said, that we need to have some ambassador from Omagh, some young person that will carry that message of peace, reconciliation and hope into the future."
Further Information
Publisher: TYRONE CONSTITUTION
Ref: TC10An/51
Published Date: 21-Aug-08
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