MESSAGES OF SYMPATHY STILL FLOODING IN
MESSAGES OF SYMPATHY STILL FLOODING IN
BY: JACQUELINE COURTNEY
HEARTBROKEN relatives of the victims of the Omagh bombing will be given a private viewing of the thousand of messages of hope which have come from all over the world.
And each of the 29 families, of those killed in the bomb, will be presented with a unique individual memorial, created from the floral tributes, left at the scene after the terrible August atrocity.
Omagh District Council is to formally invite relatives to view the messages penned in hundreds of books of condolences after the bomb blast which killed 29 people and injured hundreds - more than a month ago.
The lasting memorials will eventually be displayed in the new Arts Centre proposed for the town.
Already more than 150 books of condolences containing over 500,000 signatures have been delivered to Omagh, with more to follow.
The thousands of messages, from both sides of the border, came in the form of poems, words of sympathy or simply signatures.
And messages of sorrows, shock and solidarity have also flooded Internet web sites, coming from all over the world including, Romania, Brazil, South Africa, Singapore, Hong Kong, as well as every part of Ireland and Britain.
The Books of condolences which open in the aftermath of the Omagh tragedy closed this week.
More than 100,000 people are estimated to have signed books all over Northern Ireland.
Omagh District Council plans to display the books in a permanent memorial place, along with "labours of love" art forms made from the thousands of floral tributes sent to the grieving town.
The council decided the flowers should be used to form a permanent memorial for the people most affected in the bomb.
It is hoped to involve local school children and members of the public in the remembrance gesture, to those killed or injured in the Omagh outrage.
It is proposed to create three major large scale pieces of paper art one each for Omagh, Buncrana and Madrid. It is planned also to create 29 pieces of constructed textile art, using the paper created from the flowers. One of these will be presented to each family of the 29 people who died.
The council has employed the services of Portrush textile artist Carole Kane to assist in the project. Carole will hold a series of two day workshops, involving local people and children who will be contacted through the schools.
Anyone who would like to become involved should leave their name, address and telephone number with the Council's Art and Tourism department.
"We would like to involve as many people as possible in this. This will be a unique art memorial from the people of Omagh" explained Frank Sweeney Head of Art and Tourism at the Council.
The Council, he said, had gathered up all the deteriorated flowers and laid them out for drying. Such were the magnitude of the flowers that they filled two large sheds at the Council's Works Depot.
The first part of the delicate process was the removal of the heads of the flowers for drying.
Members of Give Youth Mobility (GYM) are assisting staff from Omagh District Council with the initial steps in the preparation of the lasting memorials.
This week the Council extended thanks to the GYM members who volunteered their services in the delicate process of separating the various components which will be needed in the creation of this unique and imaginative shrine.
All components of the floral tributes, cards and messages of sympathy will be used in the creation of the memorial the Council said.
Omagh District Council also revealed that all soft toys left at the scene will be presented to local children's organisations.
BY: JACQUELINE COURTNEY
HEARTBROKEN relatives of the victims of the Omagh bombing will be given a private viewing of the thousand of messages of hope which have come from all over the world.
And each of the 29 families, of those killed in the bomb, will be presented with a unique individual memorial, created from the floral tributes, left at the scene after the terrible August atrocity.
Omagh District Council is to formally invite relatives to view the messages penned in hundreds of books of condolences after the bomb blast which killed 29 people and injured hundreds - more than a month ago.
The lasting memorials will eventually be displayed in the new Arts Centre proposed for the town.
Already more than 150 books of condolences containing over 500,000 signatures have been delivered to Omagh, with more to follow.
The thousands of messages, from both sides of the border, came in the form of poems, words of sympathy or simply signatures.
And messages of sorrows, shock and solidarity have also flooded Internet web sites, coming from all over the world including, Romania, Brazil, South Africa, Singapore, Hong Kong, as well as every part of Ireland and Britain.
The Books of condolences which open in the aftermath of the Omagh tragedy closed this week.
More than 100,000 people are estimated to have signed books all over Northern Ireland.
Omagh District Council plans to display the books in a permanent memorial place, along with "labours of love" art forms made from the thousands of floral tributes sent to the grieving town.
The council decided the flowers should be used to form a permanent memorial for the people most affected in the bomb.
It is hoped to involve local school children and members of the public in the remembrance gesture, to those killed or injured in the Omagh outrage.
It is proposed to create three major large scale pieces of paper art one each for Omagh, Buncrana and Madrid. It is planned also to create 29 pieces of constructed textile art, using the paper created from the flowers. One of these will be presented to each family of the 29 people who died.
The council has employed the services of Portrush textile artist Carole Kane to assist in the project. Carole will hold a series of two day workshops, involving local people and children who will be contacted through the schools.
Anyone who would like to become involved should leave their name, address and telephone number with the Council's Art and Tourism department.
"We would like to involve as many people as possible in this. This will be a unique art memorial from the people of Omagh" explained Frank Sweeney Head of Art and Tourism at the Council.
The Council, he said, had gathered up all the deteriorated flowers and laid them out for drying. Such were the magnitude of the flowers that they filled two large sheds at the Council's Works Depot.
The first part of the delicate process was the removal of the heads of the flowers for drying.
Members of Give Youth Mobility (GYM) are assisting staff from Omagh District Council with the initial steps in the preparation of the lasting memorials.
This week the Council extended thanks to the GYM members who volunteered their services in the delicate process of separating the various components which will be needed in the creation of this unique and imaginative shrine.
All components of the floral tributes, cards and messages of sympathy will be used in the creation of the memorial the Council said.
Omagh District Council also revealed that all soft toys left at the scene will be presented to local children's organisations.
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/1129
Published Date: 17-Sep-98
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