BOMB VICTIMS' FAMILIES MEET
Bomb victims' families meet
BY MICHAEL BRESLIN
RELATIVES of three sets of bomb victims Claudy (1972), Enniskillen (1987) and Omagh (1998) met at a weekend residential in Enniskillen last Saturday where they were guests at a reception in the Ardhowen Theatre given by Harold Andrews, the chairman of Fermanagh District Council.
The 44-strong Claudy and Omagh contingent included the three-year old grand-daughter of Michael Gallagher whose birthday on Sunday last gave the event a 'party' atmosphere.
The residential at the Killyhevlin Hotel was organised by Jeanette Warke who is an officer with the Derry-based group, Shared City Project. She stressed that its aims were not about seeking justice for the families, rather creating the opportunity for self-support.
"They're undergoing a lot of stress and I felt they needed support. My agenda was to bring the two sets of families together so they could bounce ideas off one another and just support one another.
"It was a most brilliant week-end. My own husband only died in June and I know what it's like to lose a loved one. That country up there is beautiful. I will never forget it. We had a lovely boat trip on the lake and then the civic reception".
An extra dimension was given to the get-together by the presence of some of the relatives of those who died in the Enniskillen bomb.
Mrs Warke revealed that future plans were to extend the scope of the get togethers to include the relatives of those who died at Teebane, Monaghan and Dublin atrocities
"My organisation doesn't differentiate on religious grounds. The Monaghan and Dublin bombs were carried out by Protestant paramilitaries and this project offers them the support of families who have been through the same thing."
She began her work with the Shared City Project four years ago and a series of high-profile meetings they included Mary McAleese and Jane Kennedy - culminated in funding for a memorial to the Claudy dead.
The Shared City Project itself is funded by the Community Relations Council and last weekend's initiative, 'What They Would Want' is intended to be a mixture of fun, relaxation and hard work.
As Jeanette Warke put it: 'These people wake up every day trying to make sense of what happened. They need support and they also need an opportunity to relax in a friendly atmosphere'.
Among the 44 visitors from Claudy and Omagh who lost a dear one in either bomb were (from Claudy) the Eakin, O'Kane, McCloskey, McLaughlin and Bradley families. From Omagh came the Radford, Kerrigan, Gallagher, Wilson, Gibson, Skelton and McFarland families.
The Enniskillen relatives included sisters, Margaret Veitch and Ruth Blair, who lost their parents in the bomb, Joan Wilson, Derek Quinton and Stella Robinson.
Michael Gallagher, who lost his son Adrian in the Omagh bombing, said "We had a very enjoyable and productive weekend. It was the first time we had an opportunity to meet and socialise with the other victims of the Claudy bombing and of the Enniskillen bombing and I think that once we sat down and started to talk, we found that despite the time and distance between the bombings we had a lot in common."
"We do hope at some time in the future to repeat that coming together. We think that it is worthwhile to reach out to other victims across Northern Ireland and across the border."
BY MICHAEL BRESLIN
RELATIVES of three sets of bomb victims Claudy (1972), Enniskillen (1987) and Omagh (1998) met at a weekend residential in Enniskillen last Saturday where they were guests at a reception in the Ardhowen Theatre given by Harold Andrews, the chairman of Fermanagh District Council.
The 44-strong Claudy and Omagh contingent included the three-year old grand-daughter of Michael Gallagher whose birthday on Sunday last gave the event a 'party' atmosphere.
The residential at the Killyhevlin Hotel was organised by Jeanette Warke who is an officer with the Derry-based group, Shared City Project. She stressed that its aims were not about seeking justice for the families, rather creating the opportunity for self-support.
"They're undergoing a lot of stress and I felt they needed support. My agenda was to bring the two sets of families together so they could bounce ideas off one another and just support one another.
"It was a most brilliant week-end. My own husband only died in June and I know what it's like to lose a loved one. That country up there is beautiful. I will never forget it. We had a lovely boat trip on the lake and then the civic reception".
An extra dimension was given to the get-together by the presence of some of the relatives of those who died in the Enniskillen bomb.
Mrs Warke revealed that future plans were to extend the scope of the get togethers to include the relatives of those who died at Teebane, Monaghan and Dublin atrocities
"My organisation doesn't differentiate on religious grounds. The Monaghan and Dublin bombs were carried out by Protestant paramilitaries and this project offers them the support of families who have been through the same thing."
She began her work with the Shared City Project four years ago and a series of high-profile meetings they included Mary McAleese and Jane Kennedy - culminated in funding for a memorial to the Claudy dead.
The Shared City Project itself is funded by the Community Relations Council and last weekend's initiative, 'What They Would Want' is intended to be a mixture of fun, relaxation and hard work.
As Jeanette Warke put it: 'These people wake up every day trying to make sense of what happened. They need support and they also need an opportunity to relax in a friendly atmosphere'.
Among the 44 visitors from Claudy and Omagh who lost a dear one in either bomb were (from Claudy) the Eakin, O'Kane, McCloskey, McLaughlin and Bradley families. From Omagh came the Radford, Kerrigan, Gallagher, Wilson, Gibson, Skelton and McFarland families.
The Enniskillen relatives included sisters, Margaret Veitch and Ruth Blair, who lost their parents in the bomb, Joan Wilson, Derek Quinton and Stella Robinson.
Michael Gallagher, who lost his son Adrian in the Omagh bombing, said "We had a very enjoyable and productive weekend. It was the first time we had an opportunity to meet and socialise with the other victims of the Claudy bombing and of the Enniskillen bombing and I think that once we sat down and started to talk, we found that despite the time and distance between the bombings we had a lot in common."
"We do hope at some time in the future to repeat that coming together. We think that it is worthwhile to reach out to other victims across Northern Ireland and across the border."
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/1622
Published Date: 27-Nov-03
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