O'MALLEY SURPRISED THAT BOMBERS HAVE NOT BEEN ARRESTED
O'Malley surprised that bombers have not been arrested
by Tony Purcell
FORMER Minister for Justice Des O'Malley, who visited his wife's hometown of Omagh, last night, expressed surprise that those responsible for the appalling outrage had not been arrested.
"I hope that a number of these people will be arrested without delay. Under the existing legislation these people can be charged with membership of an illegal organisation, even if there is no evidence that they were directly involved in the bombing and the planning of it," said Mr O'Malley. He called for the full enforcement of the existing legislation, as there was plenty of power to arrest those responsible.
He described the bombing as reaching a new low. "It was mainly women and children who were killed and injured in the bombing that was designed to cause the absolute maximum death and injury to innocent people going about their shopping on a Saturday afternoon and attending a carnival in the town," he said.
Mr O'Malley and his wife, formerly Pat McAleer, were on holidays in Connemara when they heard of the bombing. "We were very shocked and upset on hearing of the appalling tragedy. Pat's sister Bernadette McAleer had a narrow escape when a window came in on top of her about 150 yards from the scene of the bombing. Luckily, she was not injured, thank God, but she was very shocked by what had happened. Bernadette knew quite a number of the victims who were killed and injured. Pat's mother, Mrs Kathleen McAleer, who is 91 years of age was actually in town at the time of the bombing, getting her hair done, but was fortunately a distance away from the scene," stated the former PD leader.
On hearing the news of the tragedy Mr O'Malley and his wife travelled to Omagh.
"The people are absolutely shocked and numbed and horrified by what has happened. I do not think they have fully come to terms with the enormity of the tragedy yet, and I did not see any great expression of anger in the past two days," he said.
Deputy O'Malley was Minister for Justice in the Fianna Fail Government between 1970 and 1973 when his wife's home in Omagh was blown up, and he won the respect of the Irish people for his strong anti-IRA stance at the time. Condemning the Omagh atrocity, Mr O'Malley welcomed the swift response of the British and Irish Governments in trying to bring those responsible to justice.
"I would like to see the arrests of some of the people who were involved or associated with those who carried out the bombing without delay. It is a terrible disappointment that this worst-ever atrocity should happen within a few months of the Good Friday Peace Agreement being signed and accepted in a referendum by the overwhelming majority of the people in the North and South who have totally rejected violence," he said.
On the question of whether interment should be re-introduced, Deputy O'Malley believed that it could become counter-productive.
"I would much prefer to see the existing legislation being fully enforced. If there was no alternative to it, I think interment should certainly be considered, but it would have to be simultaneously introduced in the North and South."
Courtesy of Irish Examiner
by Tony Purcell
FORMER Minister for Justice Des O'Malley, who visited his wife's hometown of Omagh, last night, expressed surprise that those responsible for the appalling outrage had not been arrested.
"I hope that a number of these people will be arrested without delay. Under the existing legislation these people can be charged with membership of an illegal organisation, even if there is no evidence that they were directly involved in the bombing and the planning of it," said Mr O'Malley. He called for the full enforcement of the existing legislation, as there was plenty of power to arrest those responsible.
He described the bombing as reaching a new low. "It was mainly women and children who were killed and injured in the bombing that was designed to cause the absolute maximum death and injury to innocent people going about their shopping on a Saturday afternoon and attending a carnival in the town," he said.
Mr O'Malley and his wife, formerly Pat McAleer, were on holidays in Connemara when they heard of the bombing. "We were very shocked and upset on hearing of the appalling tragedy. Pat's sister Bernadette McAleer had a narrow escape when a window came in on top of her about 150 yards from the scene of the bombing. Luckily, she was not injured, thank God, but she was very shocked by what had happened. Bernadette knew quite a number of the victims who were killed and injured. Pat's mother, Mrs Kathleen McAleer, who is 91 years of age was actually in town at the time of the bombing, getting her hair done, but was fortunately a distance away from the scene," stated the former PD leader.
On hearing the news of the tragedy Mr O'Malley and his wife travelled to Omagh.
"The people are absolutely shocked and numbed and horrified by what has happened. I do not think they have fully come to terms with the enormity of the tragedy yet, and I did not see any great expression of anger in the past two days," he said.
Deputy O'Malley was Minister for Justice in the Fianna Fail Government between 1970 and 1973 when his wife's home in Omagh was blown up, and he won the respect of the Irish people for his strong anti-IRA stance at the time. Condemning the Omagh atrocity, Mr O'Malley welcomed the swift response of the British and Irish Governments in trying to bring those responsible to justice.
"I would like to see the arrests of some of the people who were involved or associated with those who carried out the bombing without delay. It is a terrible disappointment that this worst-ever atrocity should happen within a few months of the Good Friday Peace Agreement being signed and accepted in a referendum by the overwhelming majority of the people in the North and South who have totally rejected violence," he said.
On the question of whether interment should be re-introduced, Deputy O'Malley believed that it could become counter-productive.
"I would much prefer to see the existing legislation being fully enforced. If there was no alternative to it, I think interment should certainly be considered, but it would have to be simultaneously introduced in the North and South."
Courtesy of Irish Examiner
Further Information
Publisher: THE EXAMINER
Ref: TEX/076
Published Date: 19-Aug-98
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