A GRAN A MOTHER AND HER LITTLE GIRL ARE DEAD
A gran, a mother and her little girl are dead..there are no words to describe our sorrow
By AMANDA DOHERTY and LUCY ROCK
THREE generations of one family were wiped out in the Omagh massacre.
Grandmother Mary Grimes, her 30-year-old daughter Avril Monaghan - heavily pregnant with twins - and 18-month granddaughter Maura were on a shopping trip when the 500lb bomb went up. It was Mary's 65th birthday. All three are believed to have died instantly.
Last night the close community in Beragh. Co Tyrone, where Mary lived with her dairy farmer husband Mick was stunned. Like so many others close to victims of Ulster's worst-ever atrocity there were no words to describe their sorrow. Grieving Mick was too distressed to talk.
His brother, local priest Father James Grimes, said: "The family is utterly distraught. We simply can't take this in. Mary and the others had only gone into Omagh to do some shopping. We are all devastated."
Secretary Avril, who had nine brothers and one sister, was believed to have been about 26 weeks pregnant. Her unborn twins did not survive. She leaves her husband Michael, two daughters and a son. The eldest child is six.
Mick and Mary helped in local projects, recently raising money for Romanian orphans. One neighbour said: "The family have never caused any offence. They don't deserve this."
Yesterday, relatives were visited by Archbishop Shaun Brady, the Catholic Primate of all Ireland. He said: "They are so shocked...they are devastated."
By a bitter irony Mick wrote a poem two years ago pleading for the Ulster killings to cease. Entitled Teach The Children, part of it read:
How can we, before it is too late,
Cast aside the curse of war and hate,
Then work that conflict in the world would cease
And we can all rejoice in love and peace.
Twenty eight people died and 210 were injured when the bomb exploded in a shopping centre to which people had been evacuated after a warning that a device was planted in the courthouse.
For heartbroken Michael Gallagher, who lost his 21-year-old son Adrian, it was the second time terrorists had destroyed his family.
Ambush
Michael, 49, lost his younger brother Hugh - a former member of the Ulster Defence Regiment - when he was ambushed and gunned down while driving a taxi 14 years ago. Now the men of blood have claimed the life of his beloved son.
He said: "I was devastated when my brother was murdered, but today I am totally destroyed. It is a tragedy to lose your only son. To lose him in such a way takes you to a place beyond grief.
"I, my wife and Adrian all voted for peace but each new atrocity just seems to eclipse the next. Now I have lost all faith in the peace process."
Adrian's mother Patricia. 49 fought back tears as she said: "I keep thinking it's all a terrible mistake and that my Adrian is not dead. I have no thoughts for the people who did this. My only thoughts are for my son who has been taken away from me."
Graduate Adrian, a car body repair worker, went into the town centre with best friend Michael Barrett to buy new work boots and a pair of jeans to wear to a local disco that night.
Patricia said: "The last thing he said to me was What size am I mum?' He could never remember.
"I told him his measurements and he said 'Thanks see you later.' Right to the very end I clung to the hope he was still alive and that Id see him again."
Adrian's father was on the other side of town when he heard the massive blast. He said: "I immediately had a bad feeling something had happened to him.
"I went straight up to Tyrone County Hospital. But the carnage there was so terrible I couldn't bear to look.
"I was racing about the wards trying to find Adrian and couldn't find him. Then I found his pal who had shrapnel wounds in his leg who told me Adrian had been standing right beside him when the bomb went off."
Michael went to the local leisure centre where relatives were kept informed of casualties. Because all phones were down he was unable to contact Patricia at home.
Early yesterday morning police told him they had a corpse at a makeshift morgue that they thought was Adrian's. They asked him if he could come and identify the body. Michael said: "I wasn't strong enough to see my boy like that. So my brother James, who is emotionally stronger, did it for me." At 4am Mr Gallagher returned home to tell Patricia terrible news. Patricia - also mum of daughters Sian, 25 and Cathy 20 - said: "I knew the minute I saw his face. He just stood there and held open his arms to me and I went over to him and we just hugged.
"To us Adrian will always be that wonderful loving soft-hearted son I said goodbye to. On his coffin we are going to put our favourite picture of him when he graduated from college."
Three boys were among the victims. Twelve-year-olds James Barker and Sean McLaughlin and Oran Doherty, 10, from Buncrana. Co Donegal, were in town to visit Omagh's folk park with a group of Spanish students on an exchange visit.
Spanish schoolboy Fernando Blasco, 12, and his teacher Rocia Abad, 22, also died. At least another 11 Spaniards are among the injured.
James's mother Donna-Maria, 41, sobbed last night: "I shall never get over this. How the people who planted this bomb could do this to a child I don't understand. James never hurt anyone yet he suffered a horrific death."
James - who moved with his family from Chertsey, Surrey, 10 months ago - was out with student Uki Blasco, 13, and her brother Fernando.
Donna Marie said: "James was so excited about the trip he wouldn't have any breakfast. When I dropped them off he ran off as he always did. I didn't even have time to say goodbye to him."
She revealed that she and husband Victor moved home with their children - James, Erin-Esther. 20, Estella, 14 and Oliver Tristan, four - because they wanted a better quality of life.
She said: "We thought it would be a healthier lifestyle, now look what's happened now. Life will never be the same again now my boy has gone."
Uki was badly hurt in the blast. Last night her parents arrived in Omagh from Madrid.
The parents of school pals Oran and Sean were too distressed to talk. Oran's uncle. Bobby Doherty, said: "These two lads were best mates. They were brilliant youngsters who always had a big smile on their faces. The whole community is in grief."
Concerned neighbours gathered outside both families' homes while children wept in anguish. One woman said: "I don't think it has hit most of us yet. All the children were pals with Oran and Sean. Some are crying their hearts out. others are just standing about, staring into space. They're the ones I feel most sorry for.
"Those of us whose children survived or who weren't on the trip feel dreadful for the parents of Oran and Sean."
Sean was an altar boy at the local church, St Mary's Oratory. Father Charles Keaney - who comforted the families - said: "Sean was a lovely wee fella. The one memory I have of him, is of his happy, smiling face. He had a younger brother and sister who are devastated by what has happened."
The Spanish victims were part of a group of 26 schoolchildren and two teachers visiting the country.
More local children than usual had gone on the trip to Omagh because less Spanish children had come to Ireland this year. Another neighbour said: "There are youngsters who are dead or injured who may not have been on that trip in the first place.
"When we got word Oran and Sean had been killed it was horrific. I lay on my bed and cried and could hear people weeping outside. People came out of their homes and hugged each other on the street. They had to be with each other to make sense of this indescribable loss."
By AMANDA DOHERTY and LUCY ROCK
THREE generations of one family were wiped out in the Omagh massacre.
Grandmother Mary Grimes, her 30-year-old daughter Avril Monaghan - heavily pregnant with twins - and 18-month granddaughter Maura were on a shopping trip when the 500lb bomb went up. It was Mary's 65th birthday. All three are believed to have died instantly.
Last night the close community in Beragh. Co Tyrone, where Mary lived with her dairy farmer husband Mick was stunned. Like so many others close to victims of Ulster's worst-ever atrocity there were no words to describe their sorrow. Grieving Mick was too distressed to talk.
His brother, local priest Father James Grimes, said: "The family is utterly distraught. We simply can't take this in. Mary and the others had only gone into Omagh to do some shopping. We are all devastated."
Secretary Avril, who had nine brothers and one sister, was believed to have been about 26 weeks pregnant. Her unborn twins did not survive. She leaves her husband Michael, two daughters and a son. The eldest child is six.
Mick and Mary helped in local projects, recently raising money for Romanian orphans. One neighbour said: "The family have never caused any offence. They don't deserve this."
Yesterday, relatives were visited by Archbishop Shaun Brady, the Catholic Primate of all Ireland. He said: "They are so shocked...they are devastated."
By a bitter irony Mick wrote a poem two years ago pleading for the Ulster killings to cease. Entitled Teach The Children, part of it read:
How can we, before it is too late,
Cast aside the curse of war and hate,
Then work that conflict in the world would cease
And we can all rejoice in love and peace.
Twenty eight people died and 210 were injured when the bomb exploded in a shopping centre to which people had been evacuated after a warning that a device was planted in the courthouse.
For heartbroken Michael Gallagher, who lost his 21-year-old son Adrian, it was the second time terrorists had destroyed his family.
Ambush
Michael, 49, lost his younger brother Hugh - a former member of the Ulster Defence Regiment - when he was ambushed and gunned down while driving a taxi 14 years ago. Now the men of blood have claimed the life of his beloved son.
He said: "I was devastated when my brother was murdered, but today I am totally destroyed. It is a tragedy to lose your only son. To lose him in such a way takes you to a place beyond grief.
"I, my wife and Adrian all voted for peace but each new atrocity just seems to eclipse the next. Now I have lost all faith in the peace process."
Adrian's mother Patricia. 49 fought back tears as she said: "I keep thinking it's all a terrible mistake and that my Adrian is not dead. I have no thoughts for the people who did this. My only thoughts are for my son who has been taken away from me."
Graduate Adrian, a car body repair worker, went into the town centre with best friend Michael Barrett to buy new work boots and a pair of jeans to wear to a local disco that night.
Patricia said: "The last thing he said to me was What size am I mum?' He could never remember.
"I told him his measurements and he said 'Thanks see you later.' Right to the very end I clung to the hope he was still alive and that Id see him again."
Adrian's father was on the other side of town when he heard the massive blast. He said: "I immediately had a bad feeling something had happened to him.
"I went straight up to Tyrone County Hospital. But the carnage there was so terrible I couldn't bear to look.
"I was racing about the wards trying to find Adrian and couldn't find him. Then I found his pal who had shrapnel wounds in his leg who told me Adrian had been standing right beside him when the bomb went off."
Michael went to the local leisure centre where relatives were kept informed of casualties. Because all phones were down he was unable to contact Patricia at home.
Early yesterday morning police told him they had a corpse at a makeshift morgue that they thought was Adrian's. They asked him if he could come and identify the body. Michael said: "I wasn't strong enough to see my boy like that. So my brother James, who is emotionally stronger, did it for me." At 4am Mr Gallagher returned home to tell Patricia terrible news. Patricia - also mum of daughters Sian, 25 and Cathy 20 - said: "I knew the minute I saw his face. He just stood there and held open his arms to me and I went over to him and we just hugged.
"To us Adrian will always be that wonderful loving soft-hearted son I said goodbye to. On his coffin we are going to put our favourite picture of him when he graduated from college."
Three boys were among the victims. Twelve-year-olds James Barker and Sean McLaughlin and Oran Doherty, 10, from Buncrana. Co Donegal, were in town to visit Omagh's folk park with a group of Spanish students on an exchange visit.
Spanish schoolboy Fernando Blasco, 12, and his teacher Rocia Abad, 22, also died. At least another 11 Spaniards are among the injured.
James's mother Donna-Maria, 41, sobbed last night: "I shall never get over this. How the people who planted this bomb could do this to a child I don't understand. James never hurt anyone yet he suffered a horrific death."
James - who moved with his family from Chertsey, Surrey, 10 months ago - was out with student Uki Blasco, 13, and her brother Fernando.
Donna Marie said: "James was so excited about the trip he wouldn't have any breakfast. When I dropped them off he ran off as he always did. I didn't even have time to say goodbye to him."
She revealed that she and husband Victor moved home with their children - James, Erin-Esther. 20, Estella, 14 and Oliver Tristan, four - because they wanted a better quality of life.
She said: "We thought it would be a healthier lifestyle, now look what's happened now. Life will never be the same again now my boy has gone."
Uki was badly hurt in the blast. Last night her parents arrived in Omagh from Madrid.
The parents of school pals Oran and Sean were too distressed to talk. Oran's uncle. Bobby Doherty, said: "These two lads were best mates. They were brilliant youngsters who always had a big smile on their faces. The whole community is in grief."
Concerned neighbours gathered outside both families' homes while children wept in anguish. One woman said: "I don't think it has hit most of us yet. All the children were pals with Oran and Sean. Some are crying their hearts out. others are just standing about, staring into space. They're the ones I feel most sorry for.
"Those of us whose children survived or who weren't on the trip feel dreadful for the parents of Oran and Sean."
Sean was an altar boy at the local church, St Mary's Oratory. Father Charles Keaney - who comforted the families - said: "Sean was a lovely wee fella. The one memory I have of him, is of his happy, smiling face. He had a younger brother and sister who are devastated by what has happened."
The Spanish victims were part of a group of 26 schoolchildren and two teachers visiting the country.
More local children than usual had gone on the trip to Omagh because less Spanish children had come to Ireland this year. Another neighbour said: "There are youngsters who are dead or injured who may not have been on that trip in the first place.
"When we got word Oran and Sean had been killed it was horrific. I lay on my bed and cried and could hear people weeping outside. People came out of their homes and hugged each other on the street. They had to be with each other to make sense of this indescribable loss."
Further Information
Publisher: THE MIRROR
Ref: TM/002
Published Date: 17-Aug-98
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