OMAGH FAMILIES HAIL DUBLIN VERDICT
Omagh families hail Dublin verdict
BY ROSETTA DONNELLY
THE conviction of Colm Murphy has prompted a unanimous call from the families of those killed and the injured of the Omagh bomb for prosecutions against the main perpetrators.
Welcoming the first conviction, the families are hoping that Colm Murphy goes down for a long time when he is sentenced at Dublin Special Criminal Court tomorrow the sentence reflecting the enormous wrong that was done at Omagh.
Michael Gallagher, chairman of the Victim's Support group said he was quietly satisfied that Colm Murphy was convicted in connection with the Omagh bomb.
He said it was a start on the road to bringing all those responsible for the atrocity to justice and it was now up to the police force on both sides of the border to see that it happens.
"Time has not diminished the pain or suffering that we have gone through."
Mr Gallagher admitted fearing that there might not be a conviction when problems arose over the garda evidence.
"But the prosecution clearly had a strong case even without the guards' evidence and thus he was found guilty."
He said that the ordeal continues somewhat by having to wait for the sentence on Friday.
"My family have been given a life sentence and Aidan was given a death sentence both without reprieve and, no matter what he (Murphy) gets on Friday, it will not match what we have been given.
"It is important that people who get involved in crime are brought to justice" added Michael.
Liz Gibson, whose sister Esther died in the bomb, said the news of Murphy's conviction was "brilliant".
The law student is hoping that "this was not a token conviction" and that Murphy would be the first of many brought to trial.
"There were a lot more people involved in the Omagh bomb and their roles are a lot more serious".
Ms Gibson plans to be in Dublin tomorrow for the sentencing and she is also hoping that Murphy will be given "a very long sentence" and said that anything less would be an insult to those who died.
"It would be heartrending to sit there and see him being given a few years knowing that he would be back out in half that time" she said.
Lawrence Rush, was in the Dublin court for the verdict, said he believes a "crack in the plate has opened" and it will not be long until justice is done fully.
"I believe the Real IRA is now in disarray: There's plenty of evidence linking them, and many individuals to Omagh."
Lawrence who sat through the entire trial in Dublin, said that the details of the court have been very hard to bear but he felt he had to be there for his wife Libbi.
"But I have now gone into a softer sadness away from the anger" he added.
Despite the hiccups in the trial, Mr Rush was confident that Colm Murphy would be convicted.
"It is a strong case against him and I never doubted that he would go down.
Kate McGeehan, whose sister Geraldine Breslin died in the bomb, said her family was delighted at the verdict. She too had been concerned that Murphy would have got off on a technicality and was relieved to hear as she made her way from work on Tuesday that he had been sent down.
She is hopeful that others may now be brought forward for prosecution. "But if they don't they are still going to have to meet their maker" she added.
Mrs Breslin died along with two other colleagues from Watersons when the bomb exploded and her death devastated her family. Kate said the death has had a traumatic effect on everyone particularly her elderly parents.
"These are just good country people who want nothing more than peace to live their lives, but they have been robbed of that by the likes of Colm Murphy and the Real IRA" she said.
The mother of the 21 month old baby, killed in the Omagh bomb, has said no sentence can compensate for the loss of her baby, Breda.
Tracey Devine said she would like to see a life sentence imposed.
But she said life should mean life, and not ten years.
However, Mrs Devine, from Dunamanagh, who suffered horrific injuries in the bomb blast said: "No sentence can make what happened any better but I feel that life should mean life and not ten years. Justice has not yet been done, I would like to see more convictions.
"He (Colin Murphy) was not the only person responsible for the Omagh bomb, and I would like to see them all brought to justice."
Neither Mrs Devine, nor her family, will be travelling to Dublin tomorrow to hear the sentencing of the only man, convicted in connection with the Real IRA bomb, but she said the conviction was 'a good result.'
Baby Breda was 21 months old when she died in the Omagh bomb, having been in the town that day with her mother, Tracey, her uncle Garry McGillian and his then fiancee Donna-Marie Keys.
Kevin Skelton said that suffering families could not move on while the perpetrators remained at large, and this is why this guilty verdict on Murphy was so important.
His wife Mena died while shopping for school uniforms with her teenage daughters. Mr Skelton was in the shop next door.
"This is the start of a long journey, but until such times as all the people responsible are behind bars, I don't think our lives will move on. We try to move on, but I want justice for my wife, my children and all the people who died".
Chris Kelly who lost an eye and part of an elbow in the Omagh bomb has welcomed the guilty verdict on Colm Murphy.
Mrs Kelly's daughter, Suzanne also lost her knee in the explosion and both women each day face the painful reminder of what happened to them.
Mrs Kelly believes 'it is only about right' that someone else should have to do the same.
The Kelly family have been watching the Murphy trial avidly and feared that he was going to walk free. "While I cannot say I was jumping for joy, I certainly was pleased to hear that he had been found guilty".
Mrs Kelly is anticipating a heavy sentence for Colm Murphy tomorrow and that his jailing will set the ball rolling for other indictments.
The mother of the 21 month old Strabane baby, killed in the bomb, has said no sentence can compnesate for the loss of her baby, Breda.
However, Tracey Devine said she would like to see a life sentence imposed. But she said life should mean life, and not ten years.
Tracey, from Dunamanagh, who suffered horrific injuries in the bomb blast said: "He (Colm Muphy) was not the only person responsible for the Omagh bomb, and I would like to see them all brought to justice."
BY ROSETTA DONNELLY
THE conviction of Colm Murphy has prompted a unanimous call from the families of those killed and the injured of the Omagh bomb for prosecutions against the main perpetrators.
Welcoming the first conviction, the families are hoping that Colm Murphy goes down for a long time when he is sentenced at Dublin Special Criminal Court tomorrow the sentence reflecting the enormous wrong that was done at Omagh.
Michael Gallagher, chairman of the Victim's Support group said he was quietly satisfied that Colm Murphy was convicted in connection with the Omagh bomb.
He said it was a start on the road to bringing all those responsible for the atrocity to justice and it was now up to the police force on both sides of the border to see that it happens.
"Time has not diminished the pain or suffering that we have gone through."
Mr Gallagher admitted fearing that there might not be a conviction when problems arose over the garda evidence.
"But the prosecution clearly had a strong case even without the guards' evidence and thus he was found guilty."
He said that the ordeal continues somewhat by having to wait for the sentence on Friday.
"My family have been given a life sentence and Aidan was given a death sentence both without reprieve and, no matter what he (Murphy) gets on Friday, it will not match what we have been given.
"It is important that people who get involved in crime are brought to justice" added Michael.
Liz Gibson, whose sister Esther died in the bomb, said the news of Murphy's conviction was "brilliant".
The law student is hoping that "this was not a token conviction" and that Murphy would be the first of many brought to trial.
"There were a lot more people involved in the Omagh bomb and their roles are a lot more serious".
Ms Gibson plans to be in Dublin tomorrow for the sentencing and she is also hoping that Murphy will be given "a very long sentence" and said that anything less would be an insult to those who died.
"It would be heartrending to sit there and see him being given a few years knowing that he would be back out in half that time" she said.
Lawrence Rush, was in the Dublin court for the verdict, said he believes a "crack in the plate has opened" and it will not be long until justice is done fully.
"I believe the Real IRA is now in disarray: There's plenty of evidence linking them, and many individuals to Omagh."
Lawrence who sat through the entire trial in Dublin, said that the details of the court have been very hard to bear but he felt he had to be there for his wife Libbi.
"But I have now gone into a softer sadness away from the anger" he added.
Despite the hiccups in the trial, Mr Rush was confident that Colm Murphy would be convicted.
"It is a strong case against him and I never doubted that he would go down.
Kate McGeehan, whose sister Geraldine Breslin died in the bomb, said her family was delighted at the verdict. She too had been concerned that Murphy would have got off on a technicality and was relieved to hear as she made her way from work on Tuesday that he had been sent down.
She is hopeful that others may now be brought forward for prosecution. "But if they don't they are still going to have to meet their maker" she added.
Mrs Breslin died along with two other colleagues from Watersons when the bomb exploded and her death devastated her family. Kate said the death has had a traumatic effect on everyone particularly her elderly parents.
"These are just good country people who want nothing more than peace to live their lives, but they have been robbed of that by the likes of Colm Murphy and the Real IRA" she said.
The mother of the 21 month old baby, killed in the Omagh bomb, has said no sentence can compensate for the loss of her baby, Breda.
Tracey Devine said she would like to see a life sentence imposed.
But she said life should mean life, and not ten years.
However, Mrs Devine, from Dunamanagh, who suffered horrific injuries in the bomb blast said: "No sentence can make what happened any better but I feel that life should mean life and not ten years. Justice has not yet been done, I would like to see more convictions.
"He (Colin Murphy) was not the only person responsible for the Omagh bomb, and I would like to see them all brought to justice."
Neither Mrs Devine, nor her family, will be travelling to Dublin tomorrow to hear the sentencing of the only man, convicted in connection with the Real IRA bomb, but she said the conviction was 'a good result.'
Baby Breda was 21 months old when she died in the Omagh bomb, having been in the town that day with her mother, Tracey, her uncle Garry McGillian and his then fiancee Donna-Marie Keys.
Kevin Skelton said that suffering families could not move on while the perpetrators remained at large, and this is why this guilty verdict on Murphy was so important.
His wife Mena died while shopping for school uniforms with her teenage daughters. Mr Skelton was in the shop next door.
"This is the start of a long journey, but until such times as all the people responsible are behind bars, I don't think our lives will move on. We try to move on, but I want justice for my wife, my children and all the people who died".
Chris Kelly who lost an eye and part of an elbow in the Omagh bomb has welcomed the guilty verdict on Colm Murphy.
Mrs Kelly's daughter, Suzanne also lost her knee in the explosion and both women each day face the painful reminder of what happened to them.
Mrs Kelly believes 'it is only about right' that someone else should have to do the same.
The Kelly family have been watching the Murphy trial avidly and feared that he was going to walk free. "While I cannot say I was jumping for joy, I certainly was pleased to hear that he had been found guilty".
Mrs Kelly is anticipating a heavy sentence for Colm Murphy tomorrow and that his jailing will set the ball rolling for other indictments.
The mother of the 21 month old Strabane baby, killed in the bomb, has said no sentence can compnesate for the loss of her baby, Breda.
However, Tracey Devine said she would like to see a life sentence imposed. But she said life should mean life, and not ten years.
Tracey, from Dunamanagh, who suffered horrific injuries in the bomb blast said: "He (Colm Muphy) was not the only person responsible for the Omagh bomb, and I would like to see them all brought to justice."
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/0925
Published Date: 24-Jan-02
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