THERE ARE OBVIOUSLY PEOPLE WHO KNOW THE BOMBERS
There are quite obviously people who know the bombers but who are afraid to speak up
On the streets of Omagh on the day after the screening of the Panorama programme, there were discrete views on the wisdom of naming suspects. Rosetta Donnelly interviewed local people in a bid to gauge their opinion on the matter.
Frank Nugent of Ashgrove Park in Omagh, said he does not believe the programme should have been shown. He said he found it very painful to watch. "I did not lose anyone in the bomb and I found it very hard to look at the programme. I can't imagine how the families of the victims felt" he added.
Frank feels that the police should get the proper evidence which will stand up in court. He said it would be far more difficult to watch someone being brought to court and then walking free because of the Panorama programme. "Trial by media does not work" he added.
Barry Owens who is a 22 year old student from Omagh felt it was good to screen the programme as it showed exactly what happened on the day of the bomb.
Barry has confidence that the bombers will be brought to book for the atrocity and said the police and gardai 'should be doing everything possible to catch the perpetrators".
A man in his thirties who did not want to be named felt it was right to name the suspects in the documentary. He felt it could trigger someone's memory and provide vital clues to the police. He did think the confidential telephone number should have been given out at the end of the programme.
Rachel McCauley, a 28 year old Housing Association development officer who works in Belfast, has mixed views on the merits of the screening of the programme.
She found it very distressing to watch, in particular the interview with the relatives.
Rachel said she would be afraid that it might prejudice future trials but she has doubts about whether the bombers will ever be brought to court for what they did.
"There are quite obviously people who know who the bombers are but who are afraid to speak up. The bombers are being protected because people are worried about their own safety" she said.
Rachel said she feels tremendous empathy with the victims' families 'who now have names and faces'.
Michelle McGinn a mother of three from Killyclogher said the showing of the Panorama programme brought back a lot of bad memories, but she hoped that it would jog peoples' memories.
She felt that there would have been no need for the programme if the bombers had been caught by the police and gardai.
Michelle Munton, a 15 year old student from Omagh thinks it was right to show the Panorama programme. She felt that the people locally had a right to know who planted the bomb in the town.
She said the programme gave the suspects a chance to speak to the camera and answer questions but that they would not answer. She felt that these actions alone was an indication of their guilt.
A lady from Castlederg who did not want to be named said she thought the programme was a big mistake. She said that it should have been left to the police and gardai to bring a prosecution.
On the streets of Omagh on the day after the screening of the Panorama programme, there were discrete views on the wisdom of naming suspects. Rosetta Donnelly interviewed local people in a bid to gauge their opinion on the matter.
Frank Nugent of Ashgrove Park in Omagh, said he does not believe the programme should have been shown. He said he found it very painful to watch. "I did not lose anyone in the bomb and I found it very hard to look at the programme. I can't imagine how the families of the victims felt" he added.
Frank feels that the police should get the proper evidence which will stand up in court. He said it would be far more difficult to watch someone being brought to court and then walking free because of the Panorama programme. "Trial by media does not work" he added.
Barry Owens who is a 22 year old student from Omagh felt it was good to screen the programme as it showed exactly what happened on the day of the bomb.
Barry has confidence that the bombers will be brought to book for the atrocity and said the police and gardai 'should be doing everything possible to catch the perpetrators".
A man in his thirties who did not want to be named felt it was right to name the suspects in the documentary. He felt it could trigger someone's memory and provide vital clues to the police. He did think the confidential telephone number should have been given out at the end of the programme.
Rachel McCauley, a 28 year old Housing Association development officer who works in Belfast, has mixed views on the merits of the screening of the programme.
She found it very distressing to watch, in particular the interview with the relatives.
Rachel said she would be afraid that it might prejudice future trials but she has doubts about whether the bombers will ever be brought to court for what they did.
"There are quite obviously people who know who the bombers are but who are afraid to speak up. The bombers are being protected because people are worried about their own safety" she said.
Rachel said she feels tremendous empathy with the victims' families 'who now have names and faces'.
Michelle McGinn a mother of three from Killyclogher said the showing of the Panorama programme brought back a lot of bad memories, but she hoped that it would jog peoples' memories.
She felt that there would have been no need for the programme if the bombers had been caught by the police and gardai.
Michelle Munton, a 15 year old student from Omagh thinks it was right to show the Panorama programme. She felt that the people locally had a right to know who planted the bomb in the town.
She said the programme gave the suspects a chance to speak to the camera and answer questions but that they would not answer. She felt that these actions alone was an indication of their guilt.
A lady from Castlederg who did not want to be named said she thought the programme was a big mistake. She said that it should have been left to the police and gardai to bring a prosecution.
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/1505
Published Date: 12-Oct-00
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