BROTHER RECALLS AN ANGEL WHO WAS HIS SISTER
Brother recalls 'an angel' who was his sister
TERMONMAGURK PARISH MOURNS DEATH OF TWO TEENAGERS
Brenda Logue, the 17 year old Loughmacrory girl cruelly cut down in Saturday's bomb blast, will be remembered by one of her brothers as "an angel".
The Logue family are trying to come to terms with the the tragedy of Brenda's death at a time when she had everything in the world to live for.
Sean, her older brother, said "Now she is an angel and that is how I will remember her."
Brenda had gone into Omagh shopping on Saturday with her mum, Mary, and grandmother, Philomena.
Minutes before the explosion she left SD Kells to put bags of shopping in the car and on her return to the shop front a 500lb bomb exploded. She bore the full brunt of the blast.
Her father, Tommy, said he knew that his daughter was dead before the fateful news was given to the family officially.
"I knew all along. I knew because the front of the shop was blown out and nobody could survive that."
Miraculously, the teenager's mother and grandmother escaped death and serious injury. Both were still inside the shop when the bomb exploded.
Mary suffered a shoulder injury and Philomena sustained cuts and bruises. In the small close-knit community of Loughmacrory teenagers huddled around crying as the news filtered through that young Brenda had died.
The 17 year old student was well-known by everyone and was very popular.
Brenda was a sporting enthusiast and was very dedicated to ladies GAA in which she was tipped to be a future goalkeeper for Tyrone ladies because of her skill and talent.
She was a goalkeeper for Loughmacrory Minors and Seniors and was the only one from the village to represent Tyrone in the Under - 16 ladies.
The teenager was also a handball enthusiast having played in the annual League.
This Summer she dedicated her time to the children of the village by leading the Summer Scheme.
Brenda had returned from a holiday in Dublin just three days before her death.
In the neighbouring community of Carrickmore another family are trying to come to terms with their loss.
The Conway family lost their son and brother, 18 year old Gareth, in Saturday's bomb.
Gareth, like Brenda, had everything in the world to live for. He was just about to enrol in an engineering course at Magee College in Derry.
The fifth of seven children Gareth had gone into town on Saturday with his mum, dad, and brother Ryan to buy contact lenses.
He was not with his parents and brothers when the bomb went off.
His elder brother Tom, who works in Dublin, said the whole world had started to open up for Gareth.
"Just when everything was starting to go well it was taken away from him. We will never get over this, no-one will".
On Tuesday Requiem Mass was said for Gareth in St Columbcilles's Church in Carrickmore.
Two years earlier the 18 year old had painstakingly assembled a model of the Church. Little did the Carrickmore teenager know that his funeral would be held in the same church.
Fr Sean Hegarty, CC at Termonmagurk, said a dark hanging over the parish. "Everyone is shocked and hurt," said the priest, who added that the community was devastated because everyone had been pulling together as a real opportunity for peace existed.
The curate said Saturday's bomb had nothing to do with politics but was "pure evil."
Both Brenda and Gareth were former pupils at Dean Brian Maguire High School in Carrickmore Principal, John Keenan, described their murders as "senseless slaughter".
Brenda, who had been a pupil at the school for six years, was a very popular student and full of vitality, said Mr Keenan.
"She was half way through a GNVQ course with her whole life ahead of her."
Gareth had left the school two years previously having completed a very successful five years at the school before attending Omagh College of Further Education.
Mr Keenan remembered Gareth as "an extremely sincere, diligent and industrious student who was determined to work very hard to achieve success.
"It is difficult to believe that both of them are gone. Our sympathy and prayers go out to their families at this difficult time."
TERMONMAGURK PARISH MOURNS DEATH OF TWO TEENAGERS
Brenda Logue, the 17 year old Loughmacrory girl cruelly cut down in Saturday's bomb blast, will be remembered by one of her brothers as "an angel".
The Logue family are trying to come to terms with the the tragedy of Brenda's death at a time when she had everything in the world to live for.
Sean, her older brother, said "Now she is an angel and that is how I will remember her."
Brenda had gone into Omagh shopping on Saturday with her mum, Mary, and grandmother, Philomena.
Minutes before the explosion she left SD Kells to put bags of shopping in the car and on her return to the shop front a 500lb bomb exploded. She bore the full brunt of the blast.
Her father, Tommy, said he knew that his daughter was dead before the fateful news was given to the family officially.
"I knew all along. I knew because the front of the shop was blown out and nobody could survive that."
Miraculously, the teenager's mother and grandmother escaped death and serious injury. Both were still inside the shop when the bomb exploded.
Mary suffered a shoulder injury and Philomena sustained cuts and bruises. In the small close-knit community of Loughmacrory teenagers huddled around crying as the news filtered through that young Brenda had died.
The 17 year old student was well-known by everyone and was very popular.
Brenda was a sporting enthusiast and was very dedicated to ladies GAA in which she was tipped to be a future goalkeeper for Tyrone ladies because of her skill and talent.
She was a goalkeeper for Loughmacrory Minors and Seniors and was the only one from the village to represent Tyrone in the Under - 16 ladies.
The teenager was also a handball enthusiast having played in the annual League.
This Summer she dedicated her time to the children of the village by leading the Summer Scheme.
Brenda had returned from a holiday in Dublin just three days before her death.
In the neighbouring community of Carrickmore another family are trying to come to terms with their loss.
The Conway family lost their son and brother, 18 year old Gareth, in Saturday's bomb.
Gareth, like Brenda, had everything in the world to live for. He was just about to enrol in an engineering course at Magee College in Derry.
The fifth of seven children Gareth had gone into town on Saturday with his mum, dad, and brother Ryan to buy contact lenses.
He was not with his parents and brothers when the bomb went off.
His elder brother Tom, who works in Dublin, said the whole world had started to open up for Gareth.
"Just when everything was starting to go well it was taken away from him. We will never get over this, no-one will".
On Tuesday Requiem Mass was said for Gareth in St Columbcilles's Church in Carrickmore.
Two years earlier the 18 year old had painstakingly assembled a model of the Church. Little did the Carrickmore teenager know that his funeral would be held in the same church.
Fr Sean Hegarty, CC at Termonmagurk, said a dark hanging over the parish. "Everyone is shocked and hurt," said the priest, who added that the community was devastated because everyone had been pulling together as a real opportunity for peace existed.
The curate said Saturday's bomb had nothing to do with politics but was "pure evil."
Both Brenda and Gareth were former pupils at Dean Brian Maguire High School in Carrickmore Principal, John Keenan, described their murders as "senseless slaughter".
Brenda, who had been a pupil at the school for six years, was a very popular student and full of vitality, said Mr Keenan.
"She was half way through a GNVQ course with her whole life ahead of her."
Gareth had left the school two years previously having completed a very successful five years at the school before attending Omagh College of Further Education.
Mr Keenan remembered Gareth as "an extremely sincere, diligent and industrious student who was determined to work very hard to achieve success.
"It is difficult to believe that both of them are gone. Our sympathy and prayers go out to their families at this difficult time."
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/0015
Published Date: 20-Aug-98
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