PAIN OF THE OMAGH INQUESTS
Pain of the Omagh Inquests
The Omagh Inquests have entered their second week and for the families it is a harrowing experience.
The details emerging from the bomb atrocity are unimaginably bad and it is heartbreaking to watch families who have already been through so much being forced to endure hearing how their loved ones died.
Some of the evidence presented has been graphically gruesome and difficult even for outsiders to stomach. What then must it be like for those hearing perhaps for the first time, the precise detail of how a son, or daughter, or wife, or husband met their fate?
The Coroner, who has been hearing thirty years of inquests in the North, found the proceedings difficult and expressed his outrage that anyone could inflict such pain on other human beings.
Reporters - some veterans of reporting on the North's most awful violence found the going tough and some were reduced to tears.
It was hard to comprehend that the injuries caused to ordinary people in Omagh was actually caused by fellow Irishmen and that some person was actually responsible for such carnage.
The Herald has decided not to carry as much graphic detail of the injuries as was given in the Inquests in the hope of sparing the families and wider family circle further pain.
Last week, and in the past, we have found ourselves in a dilemma. We were faced with our duty and desire to inform, while at the same time trying to spare victims further pain.
By failing to report the full horror of the Real IRA attack on Omagh on that day, we felt we were doing a disfavour to the victims.
We apologise for any pain that any of our reporting has caused to any of the families, thus far.
One of the families made an impassioned plea during the Inquests for nothing like Omagh to ever to happen again.
Let's hope when those responsible read of the pain they inflicted on innocent families that they will do everything they can to ensure this is the case.
The Omagh Inquests have entered their second week and for the families it is a harrowing experience.
The details emerging from the bomb atrocity are unimaginably bad and it is heartbreaking to watch families who have already been through so much being forced to endure hearing how their loved ones died.
Some of the evidence presented has been graphically gruesome and difficult even for outsiders to stomach. What then must it be like for those hearing perhaps for the first time, the precise detail of how a son, or daughter, or wife, or husband met their fate?
The Coroner, who has been hearing thirty years of inquests in the North, found the proceedings difficult and expressed his outrage that anyone could inflict such pain on other human beings.
Reporters - some veterans of reporting on the North's most awful violence found the going tough and some were reduced to tears.
It was hard to comprehend that the injuries caused to ordinary people in Omagh was actually caused by fellow Irishmen and that some person was actually responsible for such carnage.
The Herald has decided not to carry as much graphic detail of the injuries as was given in the Inquests in the hope of sparing the families and wider family circle further pain.
Last week, and in the past, we have found ourselves in a dilemma. We were faced with our duty and desire to inform, while at the same time trying to spare victims further pain.
By failing to report the full horror of the Real IRA attack on Omagh on that day, we felt we were doing a disfavour to the victims.
We apologise for any pain that any of our reporting has caused to any of the families, thus far.
One of the families made an impassioned plea during the Inquests for nothing like Omagh to ever to happen again.
Let's hope when those responsible read of the pain they inflicted on innocent families that they will do everything they can to ensure this is the case.
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/1453
Published Date: 21-Sep-00
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