SHAME ON YOU
SHAME ON YOU
By DEIRDRE TYNAN
Omagh's agony as thugs destroy garden tribute to bomb victims
OMAGH relatives were in tears yesterday after evil vandals destroyed a memorial to the bomb victims.
Trees were uprooted, plants pulled out, and flower pots and seats overturned in the garden commemorating the 29 people killed in the Real IRA atrocity.
Stanley McCombe, who's wife Ann was killed, discovered the vandalism.
The father-of-two said: "There was no-one else there apart from myself. I was close to tears that human beings could do such a thing.
"But you would have to put a question mark over 'human'. I don't know how anyone could that."
He called for security cameras to be installed.
He said: "It was absolute scum who carried out this attack.
"The people of Omagh have been hurt many times since the bombing and this is just another pain we could well do without. It is very difficult to understand the thinking behind it.
"If there had been CCTV cameras installed, maybe police could identify those went on the wrecking spree."
Michael Gallagher, whose 21-year-old son Adrian was killed in the 1998 blast, was close to tears as workers moved in to repair the damage.
He said it was "sinister" that the garden was targeted hours after relatives launched a schools' CD-Rom archive of the bomb with former Bierut hostage Terry Waite.
He said: "The damage is very extensive. I can only describe the attack as frenzied.
"It is very disappointing to have something like this happen when the town was trying to deal with its past last night in a very positive way."
He said relatives would be meeting Omagh District Council and RUC chiefs in a bid to have the garden protected.
He said: "My thoughts are right now with the families rather than with the people who did this.
"It is beyond a normal person's comprehension that someone could come into a place as sacred as this to so many people and systematically set out to vandalise it. It is very hurtful and very suspicious.
"It is a sacred place. We cannot understand the mentality. It beggars belief and does not restore confidence in human beings whether drink was taken or not. We will never understand it."
Local councillor Paddy McGowan, who helped the injured and dying after the explosion, described the vandals as "scum of the lowest kind".
He said: "I don't know how anyone could even think of doing a thing like this. I felt sick when I first saw what happened.
"The garden of remembrance is a source of solace to the people of Omagh.
"Those carried out the attack don't care about the bereaved or injured and they certainly don't represent the community in any shape or form."
Secretary of State Dr John Reid said he was outraged.
He said: "I know how much this garden of remembrance has meant both to those directly affected by the Omagh bomb and the town itself. It is disgraceful that vandals should have treated the memories of those who lost their lives and those who were seriously injured in the bomb with such callous disregard.
"The whole community, I am sure, will not only condemn such an outrage but also want to work together to put the damage right."
Police commander Superintendent Jim Baxter said: "This is not only an attack on the garden but on the entire community of Omagh, which has already suffered so much."
By DEIRDRE TYNAN
Omagh's agony as thugs destroy garden tribute to bomb victims
OMAGH relatives were in tears yesterday after evil vandals destroyed a memorial to the bomb victims.
Trees were uprooted, plants pulled out, and flower pots and seats overturned in the garden commemorating the 29 people killed in the Real IRA atrocity.
Stanley McCombe, who's wife Ann was killed, discovered the vandalism.
The father-of-two said: "There was no-one else there apart from myself. I was close to tears that human beings could do such a thing.
"But you would have to put a question mark over 'human'. I don't know how anyone could that."
He called for security cameras to be installed.
He said: "It was absolute scum who carried out this attack.
"The people of Omagh have been hurt many times since the bombing and this is just another pain we could well do without. It is very difficult to understand the thinking behind it.
"If there had been CCTV cameras installed, maybe police could identify those went on the wrecking spree."
Michael Gallagher, whose 21-year-old son Adrian was killed in the 1998 blast, was close to tears as workers moved in to repair the damage.
He said it was "sinister" that the garden was targeted hours after relatives launched a schools' CD-Rom archive of the bomb with former Bierut hostage Terry Waite.
He said: "The damage is very extensive. I can only describe the attack as frenzied.
"It is very disappointing to have something like this happen when the town was trying to deal with its past last night in a very positive way."
He said relatives would be meeting Omagh District Council and RUC chiefs in a bid to have the garden protected.
He said: "My thoughts are right now with the families rather than with the people who did this.
"It is beyond a normal person's comprehension that someone could come into a place as sacred as this to so many people and systematically set out to vandalise it. It is very hurtful and very suspicious.
"It is a sacred place. We cannot understand the mentality. It beggars belief and does not restore confidence in human beings whether drink was taken or not. We will never understand it."
Local councillor Paddy McGowan, who helped the injured and dying after the explosion, described the vandals as "scum of the lowest kind".
He said: "I don't know how anyone could even think of doing a thing like this. I felt sick when I first saw what happened.
"The garden of remembrance is a source of solace to the people of Omagh.
"Those carried out the attack don't care about the bereaved or injured and they certainly don't represent the community in any shape or form."
Secretary of State Dr John Reid said he was outraged.
He said: "I know how much this garden of remembrance has meant both to those directly affected by the Omagh bomb and the town itself. It is disgraceful that vandals should have treated the memories of those who lost their lives and those who were seriously injured in the bomb with such callous disregard.
"The whole community, I am sure, will not only condemn such an outrage but also want to work together to put the damage right."
Police commander Superintendent Jim Baxter said: "This is not only an attack on the garden but on the entire community of Omagh, which has already suffered so much."
Further Information
Publisher: THE MIRROR
Ref: TM/132
Published Date: 28-Apr-01
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