MANY FRIGHTENED TO RETURN TO TOWN
Many frightened to return to town
MANY people still feel unable to returned to Omagh town centre because it evoked too painful memories, the Inquest heard last week.
Some people had also chosen not to revisit the town because they feared a repeat of the atrocity, the Inquest was also told.
The comments were made by solicitor, Oliver Roche, acting for the Dunamanagh family of 20-month-old Brenda Devine who was killed in the bomb.
He said the only way to allay those worries was for full exposure of the defence mechanisms in place at the time and the changes made since.
Meanwhile Michael Mansfield QC, appearing for the next of kin of Libbi Rush said that if the Inquest failed to look at the circumstances of a particular death it would make a nonsense of the proceedings
Later at a Press Conference relatives of those who died in the Omagh bomb also spoke of their genuine fears that the tragedy could happen again.
Stanley McCombe, whose wife died in the bomb, called for lessons to be learned from the catastrophe, warning it could still happen again.
He made the claim after lawyers at the Inquests sought permission to investigate police handling of the events leading up to the blast and to examine RUC protocol for bomb scares.
He said that the Real IRA, the organisation behind the attack, were still active.
Michael Gallagher, who 21-year-old son was killed, said the response of police and other agencies to bomb warnings that day should be examined.
"I think we have to learn from it and identify any weaknesses that there are as well as any strengths.
"If that type of process had been started with the first bomb in the troubles we would have a much better system in place," he said.
MANY people still feel unable to returned to Omagh town centre because it evoked too painful memories, the Inquest heard last week.
Some people had also chosen not to revisit the town because they feared a repeat of the atrocity, the Inquest was also told.
The comments were made by solicitor, Oliver Roche, acting for the Dunamanagh family of 20-month-old Brenda Devine who was killed in the bomb.
He said the only way to allay those worries was for full exposure of the defence mechanisms in place at the time and the changes made since.
Meanwhile Michael Mansfield QC, appearing for the next of kin of Libbi Rush said that if the Inquest failed to look at the circumstances of a particular death it would make a nonsense of the proceedings
Later at a Press Conference relatives of those who died in the Omagh bomb also spoke of their genuine fears that the tragedy could happen again.
Stanley McCombe, whose wife died in the bomb, called for lessons to be learned from the catastrophe, warning it could still happen again.
He made the claim after lawyers at the Inquests sought permission to investigate police handling of the events leading up to the blast and to examine RUC protocol for bomb scares.
He said that the Real IRA, the organisation behind the attack, were still active.
Michael Gallagher, who 21-year-old son was killed, said the response of police and other agencies to bomb warnings that day should be examined.
"I think we have to learn from it and identify any weaknesses that there are as well as any strengths.
"If that type of process had been started with the first bomb in the troubles we would have a much better system in place," he said.
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/1497
Published Date: 05-Oct-00
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