OMAGH COUNCIL STEPS BACK FROM DECISION ON MACKEY
Omagh council steps back from decision on Mackey photograph
by David Killen
IT WOULD be contrary to natural justice to remove a photograph of a former council chairman from the offices of Omagh District Council, even though its presence is said to offend many relatives of those who died in the 1998 bomb atrocity, some councillors said this week.
The council has a tradition of having photographs of council chairmen taken after they complete their year in office.
The photographs, along with those of former chief executives, are displayed in a hallway outside the council chamber.
Among them is a photograph of Mr Francis Mackey, who was chairman from June 1987 to May the following year.
Subsequently, Mr Mackey was chairman of the 32 County Sovereignty Committee, which is alleged to be the political wing of the Real IRA, the group that carried out he Omagh bombing.
On Tuesday night all the photographs are currently hung on strings, except for the photograph of Mr Mackey, which is screwed to the wall.
The Omagh Support and Self-Help Group wrote to the council in mid-January to record surprise and disgust that a picture of Mr Mackey was still on display.
In the letter, Mr Michael Gallagher, the chairman, said: "Mr Mackey, when he was a public representative, continually refused to condemn the worst single atrocity of the troubles, in which 31 souls were murdered and hundreds maimed and injured in Omagh on the 15th of August 1998.
"In view of Mr Mackey's attitude towards those affected, we are asking that the council remove this picture, as it portrays the wrong image of Omagh, both nationally and internationally. We hope that councillors will respect the concern raised in this letter and pass a motion in order to do so."
However, councillors on Tuesday night stepped back from taking such a decision. Instead they agreed to invite the support group to meet with them and put their views.
Representatives of several families were in the public gallery for the meeting.
Discussion on the letter was brought forward in the council business at the suggestion of Mr Gerry O' Doherty.
Admired
And speaking on the letter, Mr Seamus Shields said he welcomed the relatives and said the council recognised an admired the tremendous work the group had done since the bombing.
"Without a doubt the council has always given recognition to the enormous suffering of the relatives and victims and from the beginning expressed our condemnation and abhorrence," he said.
The letter raised a number of issues, Mr Shields went on. He said he did not think any councillor "held a brier' for Mr Mackey. The suggestion, however, that the photograph be removed "raises issues of fairness and natural justice".
Mr Shields said the comment had been made that Mr Mackey failed to condemn the Omagh bombing. He said he had consulted local newspapers from the time in which Mr Mackey was quoted as saying "I totally condemn Saturday's atrocity" and saying there was "no justification" for killing innocent people.
Mr Shields said that on the Monday after the bomb, the council held a special meeting, which Mr Mackey attended. There was unanimous condemnation of the bombing from all, he said.
There was a question of natural justice, Mr Shields said. Everyone was entitled to be treated as innocent until proven guilty.
Whatever suspicions anyone had of Mr Mackey, he had never been charged with anything and certainly never convicted.
Even if he had been, the council would have to look at the question if it would be appropriate to take the step asked for, when the photograph related to what he had done before 1998.
He proposed that the council should note the request and restate its total condemnation of the 1998 bombing and its support for the relatives in the quest for justice. The council should also accede to any request from the grow for a meeting.
This was agreed by councillors.
Earlier, Mr Johnny McLaughlin, had suggested that the self-help group should be allowed to make a presentation to the council.
Emotional
Mr Allan Rainey said the Omagh bombing was a very emotional subject, in particular for the bereaved families and all who had suffered.
Mr Rainey said he was vice-chairman at the time and said he would challenge the contention that Mr Mackey did not condemn the bombing.
Mr Bert Wilson said he could understand the grief the families must feel as they looked at the photograph. He said he had lost some good friends in the bomb blast.
He said he supported the idea that the families should be asked to address the council.
Mr Barney McAleer said Sinn Fein had always condemned the Omagh bombing and offered sympathy to the bereaved and injured.
He said there were photographs of chairmen whose politics he did not necessarily share, but he saw "no value in rewriting history" and the council should stand by the protocol of displaying photographs.
Mr Joe Byrne said he recognised the efforts of the group over the years, but he did not think the photographs should be removed.
Mr Pat McDonnell, the council chairman, said he reiterated the council's deep abhorrence of what had happened.
Dissent
He said that when the council held its special meeting after the bomb, there had been no dissent in the condemnation.
Councillors' had then lined up in alphabetical order to sign a Book of Condolence, and he had been behind Mr Mackey when he signed it.
He said that after that meeting, Mr Mackey had made some comments to television crews on the doorstep of the council. Mr Mackey had then made his statements of condemnation to local newspapers.
Mr McDonnell said the relatives had an "an enormous cross to bear" since the atrocity. "Their pain has not ended," he said.
by David Killen
IT WOULD be contrary to natural justice to remove a photograph of a former council chairman from the offices of Omagh District Council, even though its presence is said to offend many relatives of those who died in the 1998 bomb atrocity, some councillors said this week.
The council has a tradition of having photographs of council chairmen taken after they complete their year in office.
The photographs, along with those of former chief executives, are displayed in a hallway outside the council chamber.
Among them is a photograph of Mr Francis Mackey, who was chairman from June 1987 to May the following year.
Subsequently, Mr Mackey was chairman of the 32 County Sovereignty Committee, which is alleged to be the political wing of the Real IRA, the group that carried out he Omagh bombing.
On Tuesday night all the photographs are currently hung on strings, except for the photograph of Mr Mackey, which is screwed to the wall.
The Omagh Support and Self-Help Group wrote to the council in mid-January to record surprise and disgust that a picture of Mr Mackey was still on display.
In the letter, Mr Michael Gallagher, the chairman, said: "Mr Mackey, when he was a public representative, continually refused to condemn the worst single atrocity of the troubles, in which 31 souls were murdered and hundreds maimed and injured in Omagh on the 15th of August 1998.
"In view of Mr Mackey's attitude towards those affected, we are asking that the council remove this picture, as it portrays the wrong image of Omagh, both nationally and internationally. We hope that councillors will respect the concern raised in this letter and pass a motion in order to do so."
However, councillors on Tuesday night stepped back from taking such a decision. Instead they agreed to invite the support group to meet with them and put their views.
Representatives of several families were in the public gallery for the meeting.
Discussion on the letter was brought forward in the council business at the suggestion of Mr Gerry O' Doherty.
Admired
And speaking on the letter, Mr Seamus Shields said he welcomed the relatives and said the council recognised an admired the tremendous work the group had done since the bombing.
"Without a doubt the council has always given recognition to the enormous suffering of the relatives and victims and from the beginning expressed our condemnation and abhorrence," he said.
The letter raised a number of issues, Mr Shields went on. He said he did not think any councillor "held a brier' for Mr Mackey. The suggestion, however, that the photograph be removed "raises issues of fairness and natural justice".
Mr Shields said the comment had been made that Mr Mackey failed to condemn the Omagh bombing. He said he had consulted local newspapers from the time in which Mr Mackey was quoted as saying "I totally condemn Saturday's atrocity" and saying there was "no justification" for killing innocent people.
Mr Shields said that on the Monday after the bomb, the council held a special meeting, which Mr Mackey attended. There was unanimous condemnation of the bombing from all, he said.
There was a question of natural justice, Mr Shields said. Everyone was entitled to be treated as innocent until proven guilty.
Whatever suspicions anyone had of Mr Mackey, he had never been charged with anything and certainly never convicted.
Even if he had been, the council would have to look at the question if it would be appropriate to take the step asked for, when the photograph related to what he had done before 1998.
He proposed that the council should note the request and restate its total condemnation of the 1998 bombing and its support for the relatives in the quest for justice. The council should also accede to any request from the grow for a meeting.
This was agreed by councillors.
Earlier, Mr Johnny McLaughlin, had suggested that the self-help group should be allowed to make a presentation to the council.
Emotional
Mr Allan Rainey said the Omagh bombing was a very emotional subject, in particular for the bereaved families and all who had suffered.
Mr Rainey said he was vice-chairman at the time and said he would challenge the contention that Mr Mackey did not condemn the bombing.
Mr Bert Wilson said he could understand the grief the families must feel as they looked at the photograph. He said he had lost some good friends in the bomb blast.
He said he supported the idea that the families should be asked to address the council.
Mr Barney McAleer said Sinn Fein had always condemned the Omagh bombing and offered sympathy to the bereaved and injured.
He said there were photographs of chairmen whose politics he did not necessarily share, but he saw "no value in rewriting history" and the council should stand by the protocol of displaying photographs.
Mr Joe Byrne said he recognised the efforts of the group over the years, but he did not think the photographs should be removed.
Mr Pat McDonnell, the council chairman, said he reiterated the council's deep abhorrence of what had happened.
Dissent
He said that when the council held its special meeting after the bomb, there had been no dissent in the condemnation.
Councillors' had then lined up in alphabetical order to sign a Book of Condolence, and he had been behind Mr Mackey when he signed it.
He said that after that meeting, Mr Mackey had made some comments to television crews on the doorstep of the council. Mr Mackey had then made his statements of condemnation to local newspapers.
Mr McDonnell said the relatives had an "an enormous cross to bear" since the atrocity. "Their pain has not ended," he said.
Further Information
Publisher: TYRONE CONSTITUTION
Ref: TC/1596
Published Date: 06-Feb-03
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