LOCAL STUDENTS ADDRESS MAJOR BOSTON GATHERING
Local Students address major Boston gathering
BY MICHELE CANNING
TWO students hailed as ambassadors for Omagh may be the driving force behind an investment boost for the bomb shattered town after a high profile visit to Boston, where they addressed the city's glittering social event of the year.
17 year old Carla Irwin, of Omagh Academy and 18 year old Sean O'Hagan, of the Christian Brothers School, have been tipped for greater things, after an impressive presentation to Boston's wealthy socialites last month.
Travelling in the company of Mo Mowlam's personal appointee, John McConnell, Omagh Chief Executive, John McKinney and the Duke of Abercorn, the duo spent one week in the US, raising the profile of Omagh.
Spin-offs from the trip are already evident with a $50,000 donation being made to the Omagh Fund by the Irish Fund which is an unprecedented move.
Projects, drawn up by the Omagh Committee have already been brought to the Irish Fund and bids for funding are to be established early in the New Year.
Carla and Sean's touching, yet determined, address to the Irish Fund's Boston dinner of 1600 people, described the profound effect that the Omagh bomb had on the community and their hopes for the future as attempts begin to rebuild the town.
Carla was not in Omagh town on August 15th, but knew people who were injured in the bomb, and Sean came upon the carnage five minutes after the explosion.
Both have spoken of their desire to see Omagh rejuvenated and are hopeful that their message to the people of Boston will see a major investment boost for the town from the Irish Fund.
Established in 1987 by media mogul and Irish multi millionaire, Tony O'Reilly, the Irish Fund is instrumental in funding educational and cross-community projects both North and South.
With bases in many countries around the world, its Director in Northern Ireland is Dr Maurice Hayes, who was to the forefront in bringing about the trip.
It had been at the suggestion of a leading member of the Irish Fund that the Boston trip occurred. It selected the figure heads for the trip and invited two school pupils from across the divide in Omagh to address their annual dinner.
A competition was held in both the Christian Brother's and Omagh Academy and pupils were asked to submit a presentation on their feelings and thoughts of the bombing. As a result, Carla and Sean were selected for the US trip.
Carla explained "the pieces were about our thoughts and feelings, how it had affected the town and our hopes for the future.
"I was really excited arid pleased when I heard that I was travelling to Boston and I was a little bit nervous before giving the presentation to the dinner."
Her sentiments were echoed by Sean, who added that he had enjoyed the trip.
Both are hopeful that investment will follow from the trip for schemes outlined by the Omagh Renewal and Beyond Committee.
There were also personal advantages to the trip for both students.
"It has given me a lot more confidence, the way we were received and listened to and the contacts we have made" said Carla.
"It was very maturing, and an opportunity to get away and see some of the world besides Northern
Ireland" added Sean, on his second visit to the States. In 1995 he was part of a cross community group to visit Louisiana with the Ulster Project.
The visit culminated in the dinner address, which both say was the highlight of the week long trip.
Omagh Academy Vice-Principal, Gwen Shiels, who was chaperone on the trip, has hailed both students as "tremendous ambassadors for the town."
"I am very proud of them, they were so professional in their address to the dinner and everyone listened to what they had to say.
"It is lovely to have been associated with the trip and it has opened doors not only for the pupils, but for the school. It is also a morale boost for the town."
Mrs Shiels said people in Boston were very aware of the Omagh bomb but many had different ideas about it."
"As a result of the presentations given by Carla and Sean they now actually know what the situation is" she added.
John McConnell, appointed by the Secretary of State to co-ordinate support for Omagh after the bombing has also spoken to the "Herald" about the impressive performance of Carla and Sean, and of John McKinney.
"I could not have been more proud of Carla and Sean than had they been my own children, as I watched them give their presentations to the
gathering."
Pointing out that he, John McKinney and the Duke, had gone to address the Irish Fund Board in the hope of encouraging investment, he said it had been the message of the students that had clinched the trip's intentions.
"We addressed the dinner and gave very good presentations, but there certainly was not the same feeling when those two spoke to the gathering.
"They were absolutely marvellous and so professional. You could have heard a pin drop in that room.
The NIO representative said he is hopeful that schemes drawn up by the renewal Committee will reap benefits from the trip, because of the contacts that were made by John McKinney.
"We went there to get the things that Omagh Renewal and Beyond wants".
He said Omagh would now build on the contacts it had made to establish bids for projects' of the Committee to receive funding from the Fund.
"John McKinney is writing to everyone that we met and bids are to go out early in the New Year. Even if we do not get any money the trip will have been a success".
"The main thrust of it is that John has made contacts in Boston and it is hoped that prosperous things will develop for Omagh.
He said of the trip "it is the first time that anything like this has happened, but sadly it is the first time that something to the extent of the Omagh bomb has happened in Ireland."
BY MICHELE CANNING
TWO students hailed as ambassadors for Omagh may be the driving force behind an investment boost for the bomb shattered town after a high profile visit to Boston, where they addressed the city's glittering social event of the year.
17 year old Carla Irwin, of Omagh Academy and 18 year old Sean O'Hagan, of the Christian Brothers School, have been tipped for greater things, after an impressive presentation to Boston's wealthy socialites last month.
Travelling in the company of Mo Mowlam's personal appointee, John McConnell, Omagh Chief Executive, John McKinney and the Duke of Abercorn, the duo spent one week in the US, raising the profile of Omagh.
Spin-offs from the trip are already evident with a $50,000 donation being made to the Omagh Fund by the Irish Fund which is an unprecedented move.
Projects, drawn up by the Omagh Committee have already been brought to the Irish Fund and bids for funding are to be established early in the New Year.
Carla and Sean's touching, yet determined, address to the Irish Fund's Boston dinner of 1600 people, described the profound effect that the Omagh bomb had on the community and their hopes for the future as attempts begin to rebuild the town.
Carla was not in Omagh town on August 15th, but knew people who were injured in the bomb, and Sean came upon the carnage five minutes after the explosion.
Both have spoken of their desire to see Omagh rejuvenated and are hopeful that their message to the people of Boston will see a major investment boost for the town from the Irish Fund.
Established in 1987 by media mogul and Irish multi millionaire, Tony O'Reilly, the Irish Fund is instrumental in funding educational and cross-community projects both North and South.
With bases in many countries around the world, its Director in Northern Ireland is Dr Maurice Hayes, who was to the forefront in bringing about the trip.
It had been at the suggestion of a leading member of the Irish Fund that the Boston trip occurred. It selected the figure heads for the trip and invited two school pupils from across the divide in Omagh to address their annual dinner.
A competition was held in both the Christian Brother's and Omagh Academy and pupils were asked to submit a presentation on their feelings and thoughts of the bombing. As a result, Carla and Sean were selected for the US trip.
Carla explained "the pieces were about our thoughts and feelings, how it had affected the town and our hopes for the future.
"I was really excited arid pleased when I heard that I was travelling to Boston and I was a little bit nervous before giving the presentation to the dinner."
Her sentiments were echoed by Sean, who added that he had enjoyed the trip.
Both are hopeful that investment will follow from the trip for schemes outlined by the Omagh Renewal and Beyond Committee.
There were also personal advantages to the trip for both students.
"It has given me a lot more confidence, the way we were received and listened to and the contacts we have made" said Carla.
"It was very maturing, and an opportunity to get away and see some of the world besides Northern
Ireland" added Sean, on his second visit to the States. In 1995 he was part of a cross community group to visit Louisiana with the Ulster Project.
The visit culminated in the dinner address, which both say was the highlight of the week long trip.
Omagh Academy Vice-Principal, Gwen Shiels, who was chaperone on the trip, has hailed both students as "tremendous ambassadors for the town."
"I am very proud of them, they were so professional in their address to the dinner and everyone listened to what they had to say.
"It is lovely to have been associated with the trip and it has opened doors not only for the pupils, but for the school. It is also a morale boost for the town."
Mrs Shiels said people in Boston were very aware of the Omagh bomb but many had different ideas about it."
"As a result of the presentations given by Carla and Sean they now actually know what the situation is" she added.
John McConnell, appointed by the Secretary of State to co-ordinate support for Omagh after the bombing has also spoken to the "Herald" about the impressive performance of Carla and Sean, and of John McKinney.
"I could not have been more proud of Carla and Sean than had they been my own children, as I watched them give their presentations to the
gathering."
Pointing out that he, John McKinney and the Duke, had gone to address the Irish Fund Board in the hope of encouraging investment, he said it had been the message of the students that had clinched the trip's intentions.
"We addressed the dinner and gave very good presentations, but there certainly was not the same feeling when those two spoke to the gathering.
"They were absolutely marvellous and so professional. You could have heard a pin drop in that room.
The NIO representative said he is hopeful that schemes drawn up by the renewal Committee will reap benefits from the trip, because of the contacts that were made by John McKinney.
"We went there to get the things that Omagh Renewal and Beyond wants".
He said Omagh would now build on the contacts it had made to establish bids for projects' of the Committee to receive funding from the Fund.
"John McKinney is writing to everyone that we met and bids are to go out early in the New Year. Even if we do not get any money the trip will have been a success".
"The main thrust of it is that John has made contacts in Boston and it is hoped that prosperous things will develop for Omagh.
He said of the trip "it is the first time that anything like this has happened, but sadly it is the first time that something to the extent of the Omagh bomb has happened in Ireland."
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/1718
Published Date: 24-Dec-98
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