TC/1103

Tears of heartbreak and words of hope as Omagh remembers... Its darkest day
by David Killen

OMAGH, August 15, 2002: The sun shone brightly on a balmy summer's day just as it had on that fateful same date four years earlier when death, injury and destruction came to the streets of Tyrone's county town.
Four years later and just a few hundred yards away, people of all backgrounds, all religions, and none, gathered to pay their tributes to the 31 who died, including unborn twins, and the hundreds who were injured.
As the people gathered, the town fell quiet - all traffic diverted away from the Memorial Garden situated just off Drumragh Avenue.
A short distance away, construction workers downed tools at the Community House at the site of the bomb and gathered on the top floor to watch and listen.
In the crowd were many bereaved relatives, many of those who were hurt, and many of those in the emergency services who worked so hard on that terrible day to help heal broken bodies and have worked since to help those in need of emotional support.
They were joined by the new head of the bomb enquiry, Detective Superintendent Norman Baxter, and the officer-in-charge of the PSNI's North Region, Assistant Chief Constable Sam Kincaid.
All were welcomed by Mr Danny McSorley, chief executive of Omagh District Council.
In silence the crowd of several hundred remembered those who died.
As the service continued, Eleanor O'Neill, a member of the Omagh Community Youth Choir sang, in Irish, "The Lament of Tyrone".
As she sang, the sound of the wind blowing through trees along the River Strule added a haunting counterpoint to the poignant words and melody. And a tear or two was shed. A bereaved husband put a comforting arm around his young daughter they shared fond memories of a loving wife and mother so callously taken from them.
Kathleen McNamee, project worker with the Omagh Churches' Forum, explained that in the words of the song, set at the start of the 17th century, a victim of conflict in these islands weeps and laments for the mountains he must see no more.
Lament
"The mountains and rivers lament with us for those we no longer see. Their names cling to the grief piled high within us and are constantly washed with tears in the lonely valleys of our hearts," she said.
Rev. Derek Quinn then read out the names of those who died.
Kathleen McNamee then asked that the prayers of those present should enfold those who died in Omagh, and the victims of recent days and weeks, as well as all whose lives were lost in the years an centuries of conflict, and all those injured, maimed and distressed.
Continuing, Mr. Quinn said that four centuries after the song, another Elizabeth had crossed the sea to grace the street where death stole life away.
"There, presidents and prime minister lingered among our mourning. From near and far, people great and small have laid flowers and love on our late summer carnage," he said.
Kathleen continued: "No hand should have been raised against our dearest ones. No mind should have plotted or facilitated their deaths. The
search for truth continues, and the deep desire to reset the scales of justice, where only total love and respect for all can truly balance the worth of each precious human life."
A passage from the Book of Corinthians was read by Mandy Walker, whose mother, Olive Hawkes, was one of those who died.
Mr. Quinn then said: "Our love for the dead and injured of August 1998 will not come to an end; nor our love for all the victims of our times, victim's of impatient and unkind hearts, victims of jealous and selfish spirits, victims of desperate and deceitful mind; victims."
Then Jonathan Mehaffey, a young man who had been working in a shop just feet from where the car bomb exploded sang The Spires of Hope', a song he had written about that day.
Soothe the agony
Rev Ian Mairs, of Mountjoy Presbyterian Church, then said: " The pain of death and injury will forever scar us; but the Spirit of God is stirring among us to getting the healing of the land; to soothe the agony in each heart; to lead each one of us to bravely face what we ourselves have done in thought or word or deed to keep God's people divided; or failed to do in thought, or word of deed, to build the bridge of hope".
As Rev Mervyn Ewing, of Castlederg Methodist Church, read from Matthew Chapter 5, an Army helicopter circled over the edge of town, a reminder that similar helicopters played a vital role in ferrying the very seriously injured to hospitals in Belfast and Londonderry, and undoubtedly helped save lives.
Les Sage, Ulster Project worker in Salt Lake City, Utah, reminded people that it had been a sister to Omagh through 20 years and more of the youth project.
She added:" The whole of America is bound to these islands in its beginnings and in its shapings. We thank you on this memorial day that you remembered us on a September day last year when thousands of lives from nations across the globe were taken in an anger that the world must not see again.
"Thank you for your prayers, for the trembling land of the free and the violated home of the brave.
"You knew from your suffering what we were suffering. Together we know something of the pain of all nations who were attacked or divided in war, and something, too, of the guilt of indifference or involvement."
Margaret Mitchell and Barry McAIeer came to the podium to sing as a duo the beautiful and moving hymn 'Be Still for the Presence of the Lord".
Rev Michael Keaveney reminded the people present that the pain of Omagh was shared by those from Buncrana and Spain.
"On this day four years ago, children from Spain and Buncrana, with their leaders, were among those who came to our street. They shared horribly in the afternoon atrocity.
"In the summer of the year that follows this, we will be a host town as the people of Spain, themselves suffering in a broken ceasefire, bravely return with their team for the Special Olympic World Games in Dublin.
"May we embrace them with healing and hope.
"The Special Olympic oath is: 'Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt'.
"For the sake of every nation, we dedicate ourselves again to the search for peace, a peace where no one is forgotten. Let us be brave in the attempt.
Mr Mairs then introduced a poem spoken in Spanish by Sylvia Donaldson, a native of Spain, who now works in Tyrone and Fermanagh and is married to a Fermanagh man.
Fr Keaveney then led the crowd in the words of 'The Lord's Prayer'.
Andrea McDaid, a young girl from Buncrana who lived on the same street as the young boys from the town who died, then sang a song "When".
Mr Mairs then asked Mr McSorley to lay a wreath on behalf of the people of Omagh, Buncrana and Spain.
Many representatives of bereaved families also laid wreaths in memory of their loved ones.
Clergy of all denominations from many local churches led the Grace. They were joined by the recently appointed Bishop of Deny and Raphoe, Rt. Rev. Ken Good, and a chaplain from Lisanelly Barracks.
As the service ended, a few drops of light rain began briefly to fall, mingling with the tears that many found hard to fight back; tears that were a common outpowering for those who remembered not only at the service, but for those who marked the anniversary in more private surroundings.