ATROCITY RENEWS MEMORIES OF OMAGHS DARKEST DAY
Atrocity renews memories of Omagh's darkest day
by Louise Doyle
THE weekend murder of newly-recruited police constable, Ronan Kerr, was an 'unimaginable loss of human life', the father of one of the victims of the 1998 Omagh bomb has said.
Constable Kerr's death when a bomb exploded under his car outside his Highfield Close home on Saturday afternoon came over 12 years after the Real IRA blast in Omagh town centre which killed 29 people, including a pregnant woman with twins.
This latest atrocity occurred hours after the local community came together for the town's annual half-marathon and fun run - a disturbing parallel to the day of the August 1998 car bomb, a day on which people in Omagh had been celebrating a summer carnival.
Speaking to the Tyrone Constitution on Monday, Michael Gallagher, whose 21-year-old son, Aiden, died in the Real IRA blast, said: "1 heard on Saturday when I got a phone call that there had been an explosion on the Gortin Road and very shortly after that, I was speaking with someone else who said a policeman had been killed in the blast which really worried me, because at first, I thought it was a gas explosion, but once I knew a policeman had been killed, my thoughts, immediately turned to something more sinister."
Although no group has yet claimed responsibility for the death of the young policeman, Mr Gallagher said the loss of human life in Omagh only serves to reiterate the need for stronger action to tackle dissident republican violence.
He said: "Those behind this horrific attack have attempted to once again make Omagh the target of such awful violence, renewing memories of dark days and there is deep sadness in the community following this latest surge of meaningless violence."
Mr Gallagher further added how the consequences of those behind the killing of Constable Kerr could have been "even worse" as the Omagh hall marathon and fun run had passed the area where the bomb was located just a short time before it exploded.
Both Mr Gallagher, who is the treasurer of Omagh Support and Self-Help Group, and Stanley McCombc, the vice-chairman, have visited the Kerr family after the tragic death.
"Myself and Stanley McCombe went up to visit the family of Ronan Kerr last night and we spoke briefly with Ronan's mum, two brothers and sister.
"We immediately got the sense of what a good family Ronan came from and how immensely proud they were of nun. He had an innate sense of duty and wanted to do well in life - and although his family may have had some natural concerns regarding his choice of career, they knew he wanted to make a difference
"He was a natural communicator and peacemaker," added Mr Gallagher.
Poignantly, the death of Mr Kerr came just three days after a momentous victims conference held in the Silverbirch Hotel, which told the stories of victims of violence. The event was organised by the Omagh Support and Self Help Group, having received funding from Peace III.
As Mr Gallagher explained: "To have had peacemakers such as Terry Waite in our presence and influential and inspirational people like Richard Moore and Baroness May Blood, MBE., telling of how they recovered from violence and how they are looking to the future, was in complete contrast with what happened in this town a matter of days later.
"Everyone who attended the event remarked at how good they felt afterwards and how the speakers helped to mediate and bring people - who had all suffered at the hands of violence -together. The contrast has been awful."
The horrific death of Constable Kerr has also sent shockwaves to the Republic of Ireland as the family of murdered detective garda Jerry McCabe - who was killed by the provisional IRA in Limerick in June 1996 as he intercepted an attempted armed robbery on a police van - learned of the awful news.
"I also received a text message from Una Heaton, who was the sister-in-law of murdered detective Garda Jerry McCabe, which read she was thinking of us in Omagh and wished well for everyone.
"She remarked how she hoped the funeral of Constable Ronan Kerr would be the biggest to be seen in the area to send a message to his killers that they have not broken a community even by taking one of his most valued citizens, which I thought was very apt, as the good people of Omagh will triumph."
by Louise Doyle
THE weekend murder of newly-recruited police constable, Ronan Kerr, was an 'unimaginable loss of human life', the father of one of the victims of the 1998 Omagh bomb has said.
Constable Kerr's death when a bomb exploded under his car outside his Highfield Close home on Saturday afternoon came over 12 years after the Real IRA blast in Omagh town centre which killed 29 people, including a pregnant woman with twins.
This latest atrocity occurred hours after the local community came together for the town's annual half-marathon and fun run - a disturbing parallel to the day of the August 1998 car bomb, a day on which people in Omagh had been celebrating a summer carnival.
Speaking to the Tyrone Constitution on Monday, Michael Gallagher, whose 21-year-old son, Aiden, died in the Real IRA blast, said: "1 heard on Saturday when I got a phone call that there had been an explosion on the Gortin Road and very shortly after that, I was speaking with someone else who said a policeman had been killed in the blast which really worried me, because at first, I thought it was a gas explosion, but once I knew a policeman had been killed, my thoughts, immediately turned to something more sinister."
Although no group has yet claimed responsibility for the death of the young policeman, Mr Gallagher said the loss of human life in Omagh only serves to reiterate the need for stronger action to tackle dissident republican violence.
He said: "Those behind this horrific attack have attempted to once again make Omagh the target of such awful violence, renewing memories of dark days and there is deep sadness in the community following this latest surge of meaningless violence."
Mr Gallagher further added how the consequences of those behind the killing of Constable Kerr could have been "even worse" as the Omagh hall marathon and fun run had passed the area where the bomb was located just a short time before it exploded.
Both Mr Gallagher, who is the treasurer of Omagh Support and Self-Help Group, and Stanley McCombc, the vice-chairman, have visited the Kerr family after the tragic death.
"Myself and Stanley McCombe went up to visit the family of Ronan Kerr last night and we spoke briefly with Ronan's mum, two brothers and sister.
"We immediately got the sense of what a good family Ronan came from and how immensely proud they were of nun. He had an innate sense of duty and wanted to do well in life - and although his family may have had some natural concerns regarding his choice of career, they knew he wanted to make a difference
"He was a natural communicator and peacemaker," added Mr Gallagher.
Poignantly, the death of Mr Kerr came just three days after a momentous victims conference held in the Silverbirch Hotel, which told the stories of victims of violence. The event was organised by the Omagh Support and Self Help Group, having received funding from Peace III.
As Mr Gallagher explained: "To have had peacemakers such as Terry Waite in our presence and influential and inspirational people like Richard Moore and Baroness May Blood, MBE., telling of how they recovered from violence and how they are looking to the future, was in complete contrast with what happened in this town a matter of days later.
"Everyone who attended the event remarked at how good they felt afterwards and how the speakers helped to mediate and bring people - who had all suffered at the hands of violence -together. The contrast has been awful."
The horrific death of Constable Kerr has also sent shockwaves to the Republic of Ireland as the family of murdered detective garda Jerry McCabe - who was killed by the provisional IRA in Limerick in June 1996 as he intercepted an attempted armed robbery on a police van - learned of the awful news.
"I also received a text message from Una Heaton, who was the sister-in-law of murdered detective Garda Jerry McCabe, which read she was thinking of us in Omagh and wished well for everyone.
"She remarked how she hoped the funeral of Constable Ronan Kerr would be the biggest to be seen in the area to send a message to his killers that they have not broken a community even by taking one of his most valued citizens, which I thought was very apt, as the good people of Omagh will triumph."
Further Information
Publisher: TYRONE CONSTITUTION
Ref: TC/2011
Published Date: 07-Apr-11
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