DARK DAYS FOR TYRONE AS FIRST FUNERALS TAKE PLACE
Dark days for Tyrone as first funerals take place
YESTERDAY (Wed), was a day of darkness throughout Tyrone and Donegal as thousands of mourners turned out for the funerals of 16 victims of the Omagh blast.
President Mary McAleese and First Minister David Trimble, were among those who attended Requiem Mass in Buncrana for the three children from the coastal town killed in the bomb, while in the Omagh district, leading politicians also united in grief with mourners at the funerals of thirteen of those caught up in the atrocity.
The parish of Termon-maguirc came to a standstill for the funeral of two young GAA enthusiasts, 17 year old Brenda Logue and 18-year old Gareth Conway.
There were grey skies over Loughmacrory as people packed St Mary's Church for the funeral of Brenda Logue. Mourners were led from her Loughmacrory Park home by her distraught parents Mary and Tommy and three brothers, Sean, Cahill and Karl.
Brenda's club mates at Loughmacrory ladies and Tyrone ladies football teams formed a guard of honour while her coffin was draped in her goalkeeper's jersey.
Principal celebrant Fr Sean Hegarty, told mourners that the bombing in Omagh had been the most 'grotesque, gruesome and satanic act ever carried out in our beloved land'.
He said many of those who perished had been snatched away in the 'springtime of their life'.
In his address, Auxiliary Bishop of Armagh, Dr Gerard Clifford said that for five days people had stood aghast at the death and destruction which had visited the area.
"On Saturday afternoon, Brenda Logue went about an afternoon's shopping. It seemed no different than any other Saturday, but as she and 27 others went about their business, the men of violence plotted their sordid work.
"They set out to destroy, to kill and to maim and they achieved all that. Today we say: away with your violence, away with your destruction, away with your killings. We have had enough."
Bishop Clifford said that in the weeks and months ahead, the Logue family would have to try to piece their lives together again and hoped people would eventually look back on the events of this week as representing a watershed.
"The bloody deeds of last Saturday have set a final seal on the death and destruction of thirty years."
Soon after Bishop Clifford travelled the short distance to to St Colmcille's Church for the funeral of student Gareth Conway, where school friends and GAA team-mates formed a guard of honour.
The cortege was led from Gareth's Aughiogan Park home by his parents Mickey and Rosemary, sisters Marita, Michaela and Shauneen and brothers Tom, Ryan and Des.
Bishop Clifford told mourners that Gareth was a young man with plans for the future, who was just going about his business on a Saturday afternoon.
"But all that was taken from him and from 27 others by the men of violence. His future was stolen from him by men and women of violence who claim to plan a future for our country.
"Their sordid plan is based on fear, intimidation and death. Today we say that we want no part in that."
Following Requiem Mass, Gareth was buried in St Mary's Cemetery, Loughmacrory.
The funeral also took place yesterday of 15-year-old Omagh High School student, Lorraine Wilson, the charity worker who died along with her best friend Samantha McFarland.
Speaking during a Service in Cappagh Parish Church, Bishop of Derry and Raphoe, Rt Rev Dr James Mehaffey said the evil intention of the bombers was in stark contrast to the innumerable deeds of care and compassion which had been so clearly demonstrated by the people of the community.
"The dark cloud of evil is being penetrated by numerous acts of love and goodness which are happening all around us" he said.
Describing Lorraine as a model pupil who was "full of vitality, energetic and enthusiastic" Dr Mehaffey said her life, which was only beginning, had been taken away from her.
"Lorraine died with her friend Samantha, as they worked as volunteers in the Oxfam charity shop.
"Our hearts go out to her parents, family and friends and we offer them our deepest sympathy in their terrible loss.
"We hope and pray that the intensity of their grief will not overwhelm them but that even in this, their darkest hour, some gleam of light will break through."
The funeral service for her friend, Samantha McFarland will take place at Lislimnaghan Parish Church at eleven o'clock this morning.
Seventeen-year-old Jolene Marlow, the eldest of five children, was buried after Requiem Mass in St Patrick's Church in Eskra.
Fellow pupils at the Loreto Convent Grammar School formed a guard of honour at the entrance to the church, while the coffin was draped in the GAA flag to signify her love of camogie.
Jolene had been waiting on her 'A' level results and had planned to study physiotherapy at the University of Ulster.
Her sister Nicola, who was injured in the bombing, remains in hospital and her family arranged the service to be video taped so she could watch it when she was well enough.
Another teenage victim of the massacre was 16 year old Alan Radford. At the request of relatives, reporters kept a respectable distance from the Radford home at Castleview Park home, where the Church of the Mormon Faith held a private service for the Omagh High School student.
School pals of Alan, who was due to receive his GCSE results this week gathered outside the house alongside family friends during the course of the service before burial in Greenhill Cemetery.
Over an hour later, around one thousand mourners, which included Deputy Minister Seamus Mallon, Lord Gerry Fitt and Joe McDonagh, the President of the GAA, attended the funeral of Philomena Skeleton, wife of leading Gaelic official Kevin Skelton.
The Requiem Mass was held at St Patrick's Church at Langfield after the cortege left from the family home at McCrea Park, Drumquin.
The deceased's 14-year old daughter Shauna was able to attend, despite breaking her jaw in the bomb blast, and accompanied her two older sisters who carried flowers behind the coffin and brother, Ray.
With the church packed to overflowing, hundreds stood out in the pouring rain to hear Bishop Francis Lagan speak of last Saturday's dreadful atrocity.
"Countless words have been said and written about what has happened trying to capture the horror of the barbaric act and the terrible consequences which flowed from it.
"Two realities will forever remain. The first is that what happened at 3.10pm on Saturday August 15th, the Feast of the Assumption, was something palpably evil. To plant a bomb in a busy crowded street was a sinful evil act that nothing can ever excuse or condone."
"But however, evil the act and however terrible its consequences, it was not able to destroy the goodness shown by so many people. In fact if it was meant to destroy the community it had the complete opposite effect" said Bishop Lagan.
At the funeral Service in Seskinore for Veda Short, Presbyterian Moderator, John Dixon, said no words were left to describe the horror which visited Omagh last Saturday.
The small church was packed to over-flowing for the funeral of one of the three members of Watterson's staff who died in the blast.
The Minister added that no-one could adequately describe the pain which had been inflicted on the townspeople of Omagh as a result of the worst atrocity of the troubles.
Meanwhile, the funerals for the two Spanish victims of the bomb outrage, 21-year old Fernando Blasco and Rocio Abad Ramos (23) took place in Madrid on Tuesday.
More than 50 people joined the Blasco Baselga family as their child was laid to rest in the San Justo cemetery some 12 hours after he was flown back to Spain. The teacher killed in the blast was cremated in Eastern Madrid's Almudena cemetery in a service attended by 200 people.
YESTERDAY (Wed), was a day of darkness throughout Tyrone and Donegal as thousands of mourners turned out for the funerals of 16 victims of the Omagh blast.
President Mary McAleese and First Minister David Trimble, were among those who attended Requiem Mass in Buncrana for the three children from the coastal town killed in the bomb, while in the Omagh district, leading politicians also united in grief with mourners at the funerals of thirteen of those caught up in the atrocity.
The parish of Termon-maguirc came to a standstill for the funeral of two young GAA enthusiasts, 17 year old Brenda Logue and 18-year old Gareth Conway.
There were grey skies over Loughmacrory as people packed St Mary's Church for the funeral of Brenda Logue. Mourners were led from her Loughmacrory Park home by her distraught parents Mary and Tommy and three brothers, Sean, Cahill and Karl.
Brenda's club mates at Loughmacrory ladies and Tyrone ladies football teams formed a guard of honour while her coffin was draped in her goalkeeper's jersey.
Principal celebrant Fr Sean Hegarty, told mourners that the bombing in Omagh had been the most 'grotesque, gruesome and satanic act ever carried out in our beloved land'.
He said many of those who perished had been snatched away in the 'springtime of their life'.
In his address, Auxiliary Bishop of Armagh, Dr Gerard Clifford said that for five days people had stood aghast at the death and destruction which had visited the area.
"On Saturday afternoon, Brenda Logue went about an afternoon's shopping. It seemed no different than any other Saturday, but as she and 27 others went about their business, the men of violence plotted their sordid work.
"They set out to destroy, to kill and to maim and they achieved all that. Today we say: away with your violence, away with your destruction, away with your killings. We have had enough."
Bishop Clifford said that in the weeks and months ahead, the Logue family would have to try to piece their lives together again and hoped people would eventually look back on the events of this week as representing a watershed.
"The bloody deeds of last Saturday have set a final seal on the death and destruction of thirty years."
Soon after Bishop Clifford travelled the short distance to to St Colmcille's Church for the funeral of student Gareth Conway, where school friends and GAA team-mates formed a guard of honour.
The cortege was led from Gareth's Aughiogan Park home by his parents Mickey and Rosemary, sisters Marita, Michaela and Shauneen and brothers Tom, Ryan and Des.
Bishop Clifford told mourners that Gareth was a young man with plans for the future, who was just going about his business on a Saturday afternoon.
"But all that was taken from him and from 27 others by the men of violence. His future was stolen from him by men and women of violence who claim to plan a future for our country.
"Their sordid plan is based on fear, intimidation and death. Today we say that we want no part in that."
Following Requiem Mass, Gareth was buried in St Mary's Cemetery, Loughmacrory.
The funeral also took place yesterday of 15-year-old Omagh High School student, Lorraine Wilson, the charity worker who died along with her best friend Samantha McFarland.
Speaking during a Service in Cappagh Parish Church, Bishop of Derry and Raphoe, Rt Rev Dr James Mehaffey said the evil intention of the bombers was in stark contrast to the innumerable deeds of care and compassion which had been so clearly demonstrated by the people of the community.
"The dark cloud of evil is being penetrated by numerous acts of love and goodness which are happening all around us" he said.
Describing Lorraine as a model pupil who was "full of vitality, energetic and enthusiastic" Dr Mehaffey said her life, which was only beginning, had been taken away from her.
"Lorraine died with her friend Samantha, as they worked as volunteers in the Oxfam charity shop.
"Our hearts go out to her parents, family and friends and we offer them our deepest sympathy in their terrible loss.
"We hope and pray that the intensity of their grief will not overwhelm them but that even in this, their darkest hour, some gleam of light will break through."
The funeral service for her friend, Samantha McFarland will take place at Lislimnaghan Parish Church at eleven o'clock this morning.
Seventeen-year-old Jolene Marlow, the eldest of five children, was buried after Requiem Mass in St Patrick's Church in Eskra.
Fellow pupils at the Loreto Convent Grammar School formed a guard of honour at the entrance to the church, while the coffin was draped in the GAA flag to signify her love of camogie.
Jolene had been waiting on her 'A' level results and had planned to study physiotherapy at the University of Ulster.
Her sister Nicola, who was injured in the bombing, remains in hospital and her family arranged the service to be video taped so she could watch it when she was well enough.
Another teenage victim of the massacre was 16 year old Alan Radford. At the request of relatives, reporters kept a respectable distance from the Radford home at Castleview Park home, where the Church of the Mormon Faith held a private service for the Omagh High School student.
School pals of Alan, who was due to receive his GCSE results this week gathered outside the house alongside family friends during the course of the service before burial in Greenhill Cemetery.
Over an hour later, around one thousand mourners, which included Deputy Minister Seamus Mallon, Lord Gerry Fitt and Joe McDonagh, the President of the GAA, attended the funeral of Philomena Skeleton, wife of leading Gaelic official Kevin Skelton.
The Requiem Mass was held at St Patrick's Church at Langfield after the cortege left from the family home at McCrea Park, Drumquin.
The deceased's 14-year old daughter Shauna was able to attend, despite breaking her jaw in the bomb blast, and accompanied her two older sisters who carried flowers behind the coffin and brother, Ray.
With the church packed to overflowing, hundreds stood out in the pouring rain to hear Bishop Francis Lagan speak of last Saturday's dreadful atrocity.
"Countless words have been said and written about what has happened trying to capture the horror of the barbaric act and the terrible consequences which flowed from it.
"Two realities will forever remain. The first is that what happened at 3.10pm on Saturday August 15th, the Feast of the Assumption, was something palpably evil. To plant a bomb in a busy crowded street was a sinful evil act that nothing can ever excuse or condone."
"But however, evil the act and however terrible its consequences, it was not able to destroy the goodness shown by so many people. In fact if it was meant to destroy the community it had the complete opposite effect" said Bishop Lagan.
At the funeral Service in Seskinore for Veda Short, Presbyterian Moderator, John Dixon, said no words were left to describe the horror which visited Omagh last Saturday.
The small church was packed to over-flowing for the funeral of one of the three members of Watterson's staff who died in the blast.
The Minister added that no-one could adequately describe the pain which had been inflicted on the townspeople of Omagh as a result of the worst atrocity of the troubles.
Meanwhile, the funerals for the two Spanish victims of the bomb outrage, 21-year old Fernando Blasco and Rocio Abad Ramos (23) took place in Madrid on Tuesday.
More than 50 people joined the Blasco Baselga family as their child was laid to rest in the San Justo cemetery some 12 hours after he was flown back to Spain. The teacher killed in the blast was cremated in Eastern Madrid's Almudena cemetery in a service attended by 200 people.
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/0016
Published Date: 20-Aug-98
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