CONSTRUCTION OF MEMORIAL GARDEN OF LIGHT UNDERWAY
Construction of memorial 'Garden of Light' underway
WORK on the development of Omagh's new Memorial Garden, the 'Garden of Light' will commence within the next few days following this week's closure of the existing Memorial Garden and will be completed in time for the 10th Anniversary of the Omagh bomb on August 15, 1998.
The families bereaved by the Omagh bomb were given advance notice of the closure of the existing garden to allow them an opportunity to visit it and to retain any personal items which they may have placed there until the new garden has been completed. The existing memorial stone has now been removed from the site by Omagh District Council, using a specialist contractor, and placed in secure storage for safekeeping.
The development works will be undertaken by the Lisnaskea company, McGrory Contractors Ltd, on the basis of the design created by the design team led by Desmond Fitzgerald, Architect and Sean Hillen, Artist.
The new memorial will encompass two sites. A glass pillar incorporating a cut glass heart will be located on the site of the Omagh bomb at Market Street. However, given the physical constraints of this location, the main focus of the memorial will be the newly developed garden which will occupy an expanded site at Drumragh Avenue.
Both sites will be linked by way of 'a pathway of sunlight' reflected from the 31 mirrors in the Memorial Garden, representing the 31 lives lost as a result of the bomb, to the glass pillar on Market Street. This light will only be visible as it gently glitters and sparkles on the glass pillar which is almost constantly in the shade. The appearance of the glass monument will change according to the light conditions and will remind us all that, even if the sun isn't evident at the moment, it will come out again.
A separate process is underway to decide on narrative for the new memorial. Omagh District Council and Omagh Memorial Working Group are keen to ensure that this process is open to all those who have been affected. An Independent Facilitation Team, chaired by the Rev Dr John Dunlop, has been appointed to offer one-to-one confidential meetings to all bereaved families and those injured, traumatised or affected by the bomb to discuss their views on narrative and where it should be located. These meetings have been ongoing since the end of October 2007.
The Independent Facilitation Team will now prepare and submit a report incorporating a clear, concise recommendation on narrative and its location, to be presented to Omagh District Council for consideration and approval. This report is expected to be available by the end of February 2008.
A decision as to the future of the existing memorial stone will be taken in the context of that report and its recommendations which will have been reached by the independent facilitators in full knowledge of the range of views which exist amongst the victims of the Omagh bomb of August 15, 1998.
Queries relating to any of the above issues should be directed to Kim McLaughlin, Project Officer (Tel: 028 82245321 ext 289).
WORK on the development of Omagh's new Memorial Garden, the 'Garden of Light' will commence within the next few days following this week's closure of the existing Memorial Garden and will be completed in time for the 10th Anniversary of the Omagh bomb on August 15, 1998.
The families bereaved by the Omagh bomb were given advance notice of the closure of the existing garden to allow them an opportunity to visit it and to retain any personal items which they may have placed there until the new garden has been completed. The existing memorial stone has now been removed from the site by Omagh District Council, using a specialist contractor, and placed in secure storage for safekeeping.
The development works will be undertaken by the Lisnaskea company, McGrory Contractors Ltd, on the basis of the design created by the design team led by Desmond Fitzgerald, Architect and Sean Hillen, Artist.
The new memorial will encompass two sites. A glass pillar incorporating a cut glass heart will be located on the site of the Omagh bomb at Market Street. However, given the physical constraints of this location, the main focus of the memorial will be the newly developed garden which will occupy an expanded site at Drumragh Avenue.
Both sites will be linked by way of 'a pathway of sunlight' reflected from the 31 mirrors in the Memorial Garden, representing the 31 lives lost as a result of the bomb, to the glass pillar on Market Street. This light will only be visible as it gently glitters and sparkles on the glass pillar which is almost constantly in the shade. The appearance of the glass monument will change according to the light conditions and will remind us all that, even if the sun isn't evident at the moment, it will come out again.
A separate process is underway to decide on narrative for the new memorial. Omagh District Council and Omagh Memorial Working Group are keen to ensure that this process is open to all those who have been affected. An Independent Facilitation Team, chaired by the Rev Dr John Dunlop, has been appointed to offer one-to-one confidential meetings to all bereaved families and those injured, traumatised or affected by the bomb to discuss their views on narrative and where it should be located. These meetings have been ongoing since the end of October 2007.
The Independent Facilitation Team will now prepare and submit a report incorporating a clear, concise recommendation on narrative and its location, to be presented to Omagh District Council for consideration and approval. This report is expected to be available by the end of February 2008.
A decision as to the future of the existing memorial stone will be taken in the context of that report and its recommendations which will have been reached by the independent facilitators in full knowledge of the range of views which exist amongst the victims of the Omagh bomb of August 15, 1998.
Queries relating to any of the above issues should be directed to Kim McLaughlin, Project Officer (Tel: 028 82245321 ext 289).
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/1924
Published Date: 07-Feb-08
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