PRIEST HITS OUT AT THOSE WHO ARE SHELTERING BOMBERS
Priest hits out at those who are sheltering bombers
By: JACQUELINE COURTNEY
A FINTONA born priest has appealed to those sheltering the Omagh bombers to hand them over to the authorities north or south of the border.
In his first and very outspoken interview with the "Herald", Fr Shane Bradley, who has developed strong links with the parents of the three Buncrana children who died in the explosion, said he was deeply saddened that those responsible had not yet faced the consequences of their actions.
But the Buncrana-based priest emphasised he was "not out for revenge" but felt very strongly that part of the recovery for people who do wrong is for them to face the consequences of their actions.
Speaking yesterday morning, Fr Bradley, a son of retired Fintona doctor, Seamus Bradley, said those who were protecting the bombers were in a sense condoning the Market Street murder of 29 people and two unborn babies.
"They, by their actions, are also condoning the murder of young innocent children, including anl8 months old toddler. They should recognise what they are doing is wrong" he said.
"The people, they are harbouring, put a bomb in a busy Main Street. They knew life would be at risk, even if that was not their intention" he said.
He appealed to those who did not feel comfortable about giving information to the RUC to alternatively contact the Gardai.
And he asked: "How is that Irish nationhood is sheltering these people, that people feel it better to protect the murderers of children, rather than hand them over to the so-called enemy?
He said it made him very sad that "as a society we can shelter and harbour the people who carried out this atrocity".
Last August, Fr Bradley spoke at the funerals of the three Buncrana children and recalled the town was "a place of place of indescribable grief, a land of dark shadows and appalling pain for which words were inadequate."
Nothing had changed much since then and families in Buncrana and Omagh are still grieving over the loss of their loved ones.
Fr Bradley was speaking out after listening to the growing frustrations of the grieving Buncrana families that those who carried out the heinous crime were still walking free on the streets.
"It brought it home to me that something needed to be said to help the families who cannot understand why no one has been made accountable for this crime" he said.
"If people are not made accountable for what they do, it will continue on and on" warned the priest.
Again, as he did on Saturday - whilst speaking at the Omagh Prayer Service - he thanked local people for reaching out with love in the most trying of circumstances to the people of Buncrana.
He said the tragedy had forged a number of friendships between grieving families in Buncrana and in Omagh.
"I hope there can be a more lasting and stronger link between Buncrana and Omagh which have shared their grief along the way, and again at Saturday's first anniversary" he said.
By: JACQUELINE COURTNEY
A FINTONA born priest has appealed to those sheltering the Omagh bombers to hand them over to the authorities north or south of the border.
In his first and very outspoken interview with the "Herald", Fr Shane Bradley, who has developed strong links with the parents of the three Buncrana children who died in the explosion, said he was deeply saddened that those responsible had not yet faced the consequences of their actions.
But the Buncrana-based priest emphasised he was "not out for revenge" but felt very strongly that part of the recovery for people who do wrong is for them to face the consequences of their actions.
Speaking yesterday morning, Fr Bradley, a son of retired Fintona doctor, Seamus Bradley, said those who were protecting the bombers were in a sense condoning the Market Street murder of 29 people and two unborn babies.
"They, by their actions, are also condoning the murder of young innocent children, including anl8 months old toddler. They should recognise what they are doing is wrong" he said.
"The people, they are harbouring, put a bomb in a busy Main Street. They knew life would be at risk, even if that was not their intention" he said.
He appealed to those who did not feel comfortable about giving information to the RUC to alternatively contact the Gardai.
And he asked: "How is that Irish nationhood is sheltering these people, that people feel it better to protect the murderers of children, rather than hand them over to the so-called enemy?
He said it made him very sad that "as a society we can shelter and harbour the people who carried out this atrocity".
Last August, Fr Bradley spoke at the funerals of the three Buncrana children and recalled the town was "a place of place of indescribable grief, a land of dark shadows and appalling pain for which words were inadequate."
Nothing had changed much since then and families in Buncrana and Omagh are still grieving over the loss of their loved ones.
Fr Bradley was speaking out after listening to the growing frustrations of the grieving Buncrana families that those who carried out the heinous crime were still walking free on the streets.
"It brought it home to me that something needed to be said to help the families who cannot understand why no one has been made accountable for this crime" he said.
"If people are not made accountable for what they do, it will continue on and on" warned the priest.
Again, as he did on Saturday - whilst speaking at the Omagh Prayer Service - he thanked local people for reaching out with love in the most trying of circumstances to the people of Buncrana.
He said the tragedy had forged a number of friendships between grieving families in Buncrana and in Omagh.
"I hope there can be a more lasting and stronger link between Buncrana and Omagh which have shared their grief along the way, and again at Saturday's first anniversary" he said.
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/0564
Published Date: 19-Aug-99
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