THE STREET OF SORROW
THE STREET OF SORROW
By HARRY ARNOLD and CHARLIE BAIN
THIS is the street in Omagh that became a scene of slaughter.
Twenty-eight people, mainly women and children shopping, were wiped out by a terrorist bomb. Here, we pick out six stores caught up in the carnage
At least 14 of the 28 deaths were linked to these six shops.
Tragically, six of them - those of staff working at Oxfam, Image Xpress and drapers Watterson - were directly caused by the misleading warning of the bombs whereabouts. The six were sent from their workplaces to the other end of the street to "escape". Instead, they ran straight into the path of the blast.
THE SALAD BOWL
In the Salad Bowl vegetable shop, Fred White, 60, and son Brian, 26, died.
Earlier on Saturday, the family had returned from a holiday in Scotland in time for Brian to begin a new job with Omagh Council's horticultural department. His mother Edith spent a frantic night telephoning hospitals for news of her husband and son and did not know of their deaths until 10.30am on Sunday.
S.D. KELLS
THE saddest story centred on Kells the drapers, next door to the Salad Bowl at almost the exact spot where the 500lb bomb went off.
Altogether, nine died there as families shopped for school clothes for the new term. Among them was a family of three generations: Mary Grimes, 65, her daughter Avril Monaghan, 30, and granddaughter Maura, 18 months.
Avril was pregnant with twins and had taken her mother shopping as a 65th birthday treat. The family are thought to have been near the exit, close to the seat of the blast. Also killed were Philomena Skelton, 39, and Brenda Logue,17. Philomena was shopping with her three daughters, trying to buy a school uniform.
Husband Kevin found her lying on top of rubble, face down. He had split up from his family in a neighbouring shop.
Kevin found girls Paula, 18, and Tracy, 15, unhurt. Shauna, 13, had a broken jaw.
Schoolgirl Brenda Logue had left her mother and gran in the shop to go outside to see why crowds were fleeing down the street. She caught the full force.
RUSH'S PINE SHOP
FURNITURE store owner Elizabeth Rush died because she had offered to give her shop worker daughter a break.
Elizabeth, 57, whose Rush's pine shop is directly opposite the Salad Bowl, was standing in the doorway when the bomb exploded.
She died instantly. She was so badly disfigured that it took police 24 hours to identify her.
A popular woman in the street, she had a cafe over her shop which was a regular meeting place. Mercifully, it was empty.
In Thompson's gift shop six doors away, widow Eileen Curran 56, escaped because of her kindness.
She had been about to pull down the shutters when a young couple asked if they had time to look for an engagement present for two friends.
Eileen let them in as hundreds were herded past to what they thought was safety.
She said: "I said they could pop in for a wee second if they were quick. Just as they asked me how much a set of six glasses were, the bomb went off."
If she had been outside, she would have been blown to bits.
WATTERSONS
THREE shop workers at Wattersons the drapers died as they were evacuated into the path of the explosion.
Geraldine Breslin, 43, mother of a 14-year-old son, Veda Short, 56, and Ann McCombe, 49, were killed almost almost instantly.
Geraldine and Ann were on a break from the shop, leaving Veda at the counter - until she was ordered out.
Catholic Geraldine and Protestant Ann were close pals despite the sectarian difference and had worked at the family outfitter's for years.
Geraldine, described by her local priest as "a beautiful woman, the salt of the earth", remarried two years ago to Mark, a surveyor.
Veda, who worked in the lingerie department, left a husband William, a son, three daughters and a grandchild.
Ann, who was a regular churchgoer, left a husband Stanley and two sons, Colan 18 and Clive 23.
IMAGE XPRESS
STUDENT Julie Hughes was working part-time at the Image Xpress photo shop when disaster struck.
She too was ordered to leave the store and ran into the blast. Julie, 21, was on summer holiday from Dundee University. She was due to begin the final honours year of a Bachelor of Accountancy and Business Finance degree. She was regarded as one of the university's brightest students - "conscientious, popular and friendly".
Police had been told the bomb would go off in the area of the courthouse, near image Xpress. Instead, it went of near where Omagh's market street joins Dublin Road.
OXFAM SHOP
THE Oxfam charity shop, near Image Xpress, produced one of the most heart-wrenching tales from the street of sorrow - best pals Samantha
McFarland, 17, and Lorraine Wilson, 15, were working there.
Lorraine, who was doing her GCSE exams, and A-level student Samantha gave up every Saturday for Oxfam and spent all their leisure time with each other.
At first, it was suggested that they had stayed at their post in the shop because Samantha was the official key holder. In fact, police also evacuated them further down the street and towards the heart of the explosion.
By HARRY ARNOLD and CHARLIE BAIN
THIS is the street in Omagh that became a scene of slaughter.
Twenty-eight people, mainly women and children shopping, were wiped out by a terrorist bomb. Here, we pick out six stores caught up in the carnage
At least 14 of the 28 deaths were linked to these six shops.
Tragically, six of them - those of staff working at Oxfam, Image Xpress and drapers Watterson - were directly caused by the misleading warning of the bombs whereabouts. The six were sent from their workplaces to the other end of the street to "escape". Instead, they ran straight into the path of the blast.
THE SALAD BOWL
In the Salad Bowl vegetable shop, Fred White, 60, and son Brian, 26, died.
Earlier on Saturday, the family had returned from a holiday in Scotland in time for Brian to begin a new job with Omagh Council's horticultural department. His mother Edith spent a frantic night telephoning hospitals for news of her husband and son and did not know of their deaths until 10.30am on Sunday.
S.D. KELLS
THE saddest story centred on Kells the drapers, next door to the Salad Bowl at almost the exact spot where the 500lb bomb went off.
Altogether, nine died there as families shopped for school clothes for the new term. Among them was a family of three generations: Mary Grimes, 65, her daughter Avril Monaghan, 30, and granddaughter Maura, 18 months.
Avril was pregnant with twins and had taken her mother shopping as a 65th birthday treat. The family are thought to have been near the exit, close to the seat of the blast. Also killed were Philomena Skelton, 39, and Brenda Logue,17. Philomena was shopping with her three daughters, trying to buy a school uniform.
Husband Kevin found her lying on top of rubble, face down. He had split up from his family in a neighbouring shop.
Kevin found girls Paula, 18, and Tracy, 15, unhurt. Shauna, 13, had a broken jaw.
Schoolgirl Brenda Logue had left her mother and gran in the shop to go outside to see why crowds were fleeing down the street. She caught the full force.
RUSH'S PINE SHOP
FURNITURE store owner Elizabeth Rush died because she had offered to give her shop worker daughter a break.
Elizabeth, 57, whose Rush's pine shop is directly opposite the Salad Bowl, was standing in the doorway when the bomb exploded.
She died instantly. She was so badly disfigured that it took police 24 hours to identify her.
A popular woman in the street, she had a cafe over her shop which was a regular meeting place. Mercifully, it was empty.
In Thompson's gift shop six doors away, widow Eileen Curran 56, escaped because of her kindness.
She had been about to pull down the shutters when a young couple asked if they had time to look for an engagement present for two friends.
Eileen let them in as hundreds were herded past to what they thought was safety.
She said: "I said they could pop in for a wee second if they were quick. Just as they asked me how much a set of six glasses were, the bomb went off."
If she had been outside, she would have been blown to bits.
WATTERSONS
THREE shop workers at Wattersons the drapers died as they were evacuated into the path of the explosion.
Geraldine Breslin, 43, mother of a 14-year-old son, Veda Short, 56, and Ann McCombe, 49, were killed almost almost instantly.
Geraldine and Ann were on a break from the shop, leaving Veda at the counter - until she was ordered out.
Catholic Geraldine and Protestant Ann were close pals despite the sectarian difference and had worked at the family outfitter's for years.
Geraldine, described by her local priest as "a beautiful woman, the salt of the earth", remarried two years ago to Mark, a surveyor.
Veda, who worked in the lingerie department, left a husband William, a son, three daughters and a grandchild.
Ann, who was a regular churchgoer, left a husband Stanley and two sons, Colan 18 and Clive 23.
IMAGE XPRESS
STUDENT Julie Hughes was working part-time at the Image Xpress photo shop when disaster struck.
She too was ordered to leave the store and ran into the blast. Julie, 21, was on summer holiday from Dundee University. She was due to begin the final honours year of a Bachelor of Accountancy and Business Finance degree. She was regarded as one of the university's brightest students - "conscientious, popular and friendly".
Police had been told the bomb would go off in the area of the courthouse, near image Xpress. Instead, it went of near where Omagh's market street joins Dublin Road.
OXFAM SHOP
THE Oxfam charity shop, near Image Xpress, produced one of the most heart-wrenching tales from the street of sorrow - best pals Samantha
McFarland, 17, and Lorraine Wilson, 15, were working there.
Lorraine, who was doing her GCSE exams, and A-level student Samantha gave up every Saturday for Oxfam and spent all their leisure time with each other.
At first, it was suggested that they had stayed at their post in the shop because Samantha was the official key holder. In fact, police also evacuated them further down the street and towards the heart of the explosion.
Further Information
Publisher: THE MIRROR
Ref: TM/038
Published Date: 18-Aug-98
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