COUNCIL BACKS OMAGH BOMB PUBLIC INQUIRY
Council backs Omagh bomb public inquiry
BY ADRIAN MULLAN
OMAGH District Council gave its unanimous and unequivocal backing to the families of the Omagh bomb victims in their call for a full cross-border public inquiry into the blast on carnival day on August 15,1998, which left 31 people dead and hundreds of others injured, maimed and scarred for life.
In a motion tabled by DUP MLA, Tom Buchanan on behalf of the Omagh Support and Self Help Group, he said that the families were still seeking justice for their loved ones.
Mr Buchanan said that the atrocity -the worst in the history of the troubles -had swept across the entire community of Omagh. The motion was seconded by Councillor Buchanan's colleague, Clive McFarland.
Sinn Fein's Sean Clarke supported the call for a public inquiry. He recalled that he was chairman of the council at the time of the atrocity and said that he had no hesitation in backing the call for an inquiry.
Bert Wilson, backing the motion on behalf of the UUP group, said that the bomb had created havoc in the Omagh District and further afield. He said that those families who had lost someone and those people who had been scarred and maimed will never forget or get over the effects of the blast.
Mid-Tyrone Councillor, Declan McAleer, said that a number of people with whom he was friendly were killed in the bomb. He said that they deserved justice and said he had no hesitation in backing the motion. He expressed a hope that any such inquiry would not be obstructed by certain limitations in the way that the inquiries into the Pat Finucane, Rosemary Nelson and Billy Wright murders had been.
Pat McDonnell expressed support for the motion on behalf of the SDLP and, Johnny McLaughlin added his voice to those supporting the motion. The motion was unanimously carried.
The victims' group had previously failed to get the council to pass a motion of no confidence in former councillor, Francis Mackey, who in 1998 was the chairman of the 32 County Sovereignty Committee, which was thought to be the political wing of the Real-IRA.
The victims' group also failed to persuade the council to remove a picture of Mr Mackey from the Council walls.
As Tuesday night's motion was considered some ten members of the victims' group, including a number of those who had been bereaved in the blast, sat in the public gallery.
BY ADRIAN MULLAN
OMAGH District Council gave its unanimous and unequivocal backing to the families of the Omagh bomb victims in their call for a full cross-border public inquiry into the blast on carnival day on August 15,1998, which left 31 people dead and hundreds of others injured, maimed and scarred for life.
In a motion tabled by DUP MLA, Tom Buchanan on behalf of the Omagh Support and Self Help Group, he said that the families were still seeking justice for their loved ones.
Mr Buchanan said that the atrocity -the worst in the history of the troubles -had swept across the entire community of Omagh. The motion was seconded by Councillor Buchanan's colleague, Clive McFarland.
Sinn Fein's Sean Clarke supported the call for a public inquiry. He recalled that he was chairman of the council at the time of the atrocity and said that he had no hesitation in backing the call for an inquiry.
Bert Wilson, backing the motion on behalf of the UUP group, said that the bomb had created havoc in the Omagh District and further afield. He said that those families who had lost someone and those people who had been scarred and maimed will never forget or get over the effects of the blast.
Mid-Tyrone Councillor, Declan McAleer, said that a number of people with whom he was friendly were killed in the bomb. He said that they deserved justice and said he had no hesitation in backing the motion. He expressed a hope that any such inquiry would not be obstructed by certain limitations in the way that the inquiries into the Pat Finucane, Rosemary Nelson and Billy Wright murders had been.
Pat McDonnell expressed support for the motion on behalf of the SDLP and, Johnny McLaughlin added his voice to those supporting the motion. The motion was unanimously carried.
The victims' group had previously failed to get the council to pass a motion of no confidence in former councillor, Francis Mackey, who in 1998 was the chairman of the 32 County Sovereignty Committee, which was thought to be the political wing of the Real-IRA.
The victims' group also failed to persuade the council to remove a picture of Mr Mackey from the Council walls.
As Tuesday night's motion was considered some ten members of the victims' group, including a number of those who had been bereaved in the blast, sat in the public gallery.
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/1808
Published Date: 07-Jul-05
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