MIXED REACTION TO SCREENING OF PROGRAMME
MIXED REACTION TO THE DECISION TO SCREEN PROGRAMME
By ROSETTA DONNELLY
'There cannot be a future unless we stand together on truth' - priest
LAURENCE Rush - who said he cried after watching the programme said he fears it will ruin any chance of the real bombers ever being
brought to book.
While slamming the Real IRA who he said were 'totally and single handedly" responsible for the atrocity which killed his wife, Libbi, he did not want to see someone convicted wrongly.
Much worse than that, he feels would be that a Real IRA suspect would be brought to court for the bombing of Omagh and that he would walk out the door a free man by getting off on a legal loophole caused by the trial by media issue. "I might never get justice for Libbi now. This is a disaster for my family and for Northern Ireland. Trial by media is dangerous. An innocent person could be blamed and a guilty one gets off he added.
Mr Rush said he was prepared to wait 20 years for justice to be done through the courts. "But the last thread of hope I had has been taken away".
"It was a cheap, cheap programme and it has been finally exposed as that. Talking through letterboxes... what kind of justice is that?" he asked.
He went on to say that the police have known the names of the bombers but due to lack of evidence have not brought them to court. He did not feel the media should take such rash actions. "I am not prepared for someone to suffer the way I have suffered. All I want is to see justice that is
practised and not a media circus which is what we have here" he added.
This view is not shared by all the families of those killed and injured in the bomb. Michael Gallagher who is chairman of the Omagh Self Help and Support group which represents fourteen families believes the programme did serve a purpose.
He did not believe the programme risked future prosecutions. "Nobody was put on trial by the programme. People are simply being asked to explain their movements on the day of the bomb" said Mr Gallagher.
"Given the size and severity of the atrocity, I would have thought that any reasonable person would want to cooperate with the Gardai and clear their name".
"I do not believe that just because someone is smart enough to not get caught for a crime that they should ultimately get away with it" he said.
Michael Gallagher said many of the group were not prepared to wait 20 to 30 years for justice. ''We are two and a half years into the inquiry and not one person has been charged with the, bombing of Omagh. Are we going to end up waiting 30 years and have to resurrect it again?" he asked. Mr Gallagher .said he regrets the fact that so many people have condemned the programme without being informed about the whole issue. "Well known people like Bertie Ahern, David Trimble and Gerry Adams all spoke off the cuff without being fully versed on what the programme was about. That is regrettable as those people are influential" he added.
Another Omagh man who tried to legally restrain the programme was local councillor, Francis Mackey, who is chairman of the 32 County Sovereignty Movement.
Panorama attended the AGM of the party earlier this year and had interviewed Mr Mackey. He said he did not know what context that interview was going to be used and he instructed his legal counsel to check the contents of the programme before its transmission. He was satisfied that the programme did not intend naming him when he received a letter from Panorama on Monday morning.
Mr Mackey is furious, at the programme and described it as 'a shoddy and irresponsible broadcasting'.
He said it is reminiscent of the BBC's role in the contributing to the Birmingham 6 and the Guildford 4 miscarriages of justice.
"This programme was obviously sanctioned at the highest level by the British government in collusion with the RUC who, with the Gardai, can target anyone for trial by television and have reporters stage manage scenes of show trials.
He went on "The programme has shown total disregard for the rights of individuals and their privacy. They have demonstrated days of harassment whereby individuals were hounded by the BBC. The media have no right to hound anyone in such a way and interfere in their lives.
The decision by Justice Kerr, a Diplock court judge, to allow the programme to go ahead is also shown total disregard for human rights and an invasion of people's privacy" said Mr Mackey
Joe Byrne, SDLP MLA for West Tyrone, described the Panorama programme as 'a very chilling and graphic reminder of the horror and pain of the Omagh bomb'.
"The programme makers have focused on some people who they alleged were associated with the Omagh bombing. However, only one person has ever been charged which many people find unsatisfactory and disturbing. Some people have questioned the commitment of the government authorities, north and south, to determinedly apprehend those dissident republicans, or otherwise, who may have been associated with the Omagh atrocity," he said.
"Many people find it difficult to comprehend that no-one has come forward to give relevant information to the police or Gardai relating to any circumstantial or material evidence connected to the Omagh bombing. I personally believe that anyone who has any information about this atrocity should be prepared in the public interest to give it to the police, both north and south. The Omagh bomb after all occurred when peace had largely been agreed following the signing of the Good Friday Agreement," added Mr Byrne.
Concluding Mr Byrne said: "I would appeal to both governments to continue their efforts to apprehend and bring to court those responsible. The healing process for the people of Omagh would be helped if those responsible were brought to justice."
Speaking after the screening of the programme, Fr Kevin Mullan, CC, Cappagh Parish said that the time has come for truth.
"The truth is the base line from which we have to go forward in search for a new Ireland and if people cannot stand on that new baseline then the community has a right to ask why not.
There is no time anymore for hiding and pretence. There cannot be a future unless we stand together on truth. It is on that basis that we are entitled to ask questions of those who feel unable to come out into the light of truth" said Fr Mullan.
By ROSETTA DONNELLY
'There cannot be a future unless we stand together on truth' - priest
LAURENCE Rush - who said he cried after watching the programme said he fears it will ruin any chance of the real bombers ever being
brought to book.
While slamming the Real IRA who he said were 'totally and single handedly" responsible for the atrocity which killed his wife, Libbi, he did not want to see someone convicted wrongly.
Much worse than that, he feels would be that a Real IRA suspect would be brought to court for the bombing of Omagh and that he would walk out the door a free man by getting off on a legal loophole caused by the trial by media issue. "I might never get justice for Libbi now. This is a disaster for my family and for Northern Ireland. Trial by media is dangerous. An innocent person could be blamed and a guilty one gets off he added.
Mr Rush said he was prepared to wait 20 years for justice to be done through the courts. "But the last thread of hope I had has been taken away".
"It was a cheap, cheap programme and it has been finally exposed as that. Talking through letterboxes... what kind of justice is that?" he asked.
He went on to say that the police have known the names of the bombers but due to lack of evidence have not brought them to court. He did not feel the media should take such rash actions. "I am not prepared for someone to suffer the way I have suffered. All I want is to see justice that is
practised and not a media circus which is what we have here" he added.
This view is not shared by all the families of those killed and injured in the bomb. Michael Gallagher who is chairman of the Omagh Self Help and Support group which represents fourteen families believes the programme did serve a purpose.
He did not believe the programme risked future prosecutions. "Nobody was put on trial by the programme. People are simply being asked to explain their movements on the day of the bomb" said Mr Gallagher.
"Given the size and severity of the atrocity, I would have thought that any reasonable person would want to cooperate with the Gardai and clear their name".
"I do not believe that just because someone is smart enough to not get caught for a crime that they should ultimately get away with it" he said.
Michael Gallagher said many of the group were not prepared to wait 20 to 30 years for justice. ''We are two and a half years into the inquiry and not one person has been charged with the, bombing of Omagh. Are we going to end up waiting 30 years and have to resurrect it again?" he asked. Mr Gallagher .said he regrets the fact that so many people have condemned the programme without being informed about the whole issue. "Well known people like Bertie Ahern, David Trimble and Gerry Adams all spoke off the cuff without being fully versed on what the programme was about. That is regrettable as those people are influential" he added.
Another Omagh man who tried to legally restrain the programme was local councillor, Francis Mackey, who is chairman of the 32 County Sovereignty Movement.
Panorama attended the AGM of the party earlier this year and had interviewed Mr Mackey. He said he did not know what context that interview was going to be used and he instructed his legal counsel to check the contents of the programme before its transmission. He was satisfied that the programme did not intend naming him when he received a letter from Panorama on Monday morning.
Mr Mackey is furious, at the programme and described it as 'a shoddy and irresponsible broadcasting'.
He said it is reminiscent of the BBC's role in the contributing to the Birmingham 6 and the Guildford 4 miscarriages of justice.
"This programme was obviously sanctioned at the highest level by the British government in collusion with the RUC who, with the Gardai, can target anyone for trial by television and have reporters stage manage scenes of show trials.
He went on "The programme has shown total disregard for the rights of individuals and their privacy. They have demonstrated days of harassment whereby individuals were hounded by the BBC. The media have no right to hound anyone in such a way and interfere in their lives.
The decision by Justice Kerr, a Diplock court judge, to allow the programme to go ahead is also shown total disregard for human rights and an invasion of people's privacy" said Mr Mackey
Joe Byrne, SDLP MLA for West Tyrone, described the Panorama programme as 'a very chilling and graphic reminder of the horror and pain of the Omagh bomb'.
"The programme makers have focused on some people who they alleged were associated with the Omagh bombing. However, only one person has ever been charged which many people find unsatisfactory and disturbing. Some people have questioned the commitment of the government authorities, north and south, to determinedly apprehend those dissident republicans, or otherwise, who may have been associated with the Omagh atrocity," he said.
"Many people find it difficult to comprehend that no-one has come forward to give relevant information to the police or Gardai relating to any circumstantial or material evidence connected to the Omagh bombing. I personally believe that anyone who has any information about this atrocity should be prepared in the public interest to give it to the police, both north and south. The Omagh bomb after all occurred when peace had largely been agreed following the signing of the Good Friday Agreement," added Mr Byrne.
Concluding Mr Byrne said: "I would appeal to both governments to continue their efforts to apprehend and bring to court those responsible. The healing process for the people of Omagh would be helped if those responsible were brought to justice."
Speaking after the screening of the programme, Fr Kevin Mullan, CC, Cappagh Parish said that the time has come for truth.
"The truth is the base line from which we have to go forward in search for a new Ireland and if people cannot stand on that new baseline then the community has a right to ask why not.
There is no time anymore for hiding and pretence. There cannot be a future unless we stand together on truth. It is on that basis that we are entitled to ask questions of those who feel unable to come out into the light of truth" said Fr Mullan.
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/1506
Published Date: 12-Oct-00
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