Families gather to mark the 25th anniversary of Omagh bombing – TheLiberal.ie – Our News, Your Views

Families gather to mark the 25th anniversary of Omagh bombing




Image source: @VincentKearney/RTE

Many of the families of the 29 people killed in the 1998 Omagh bombings gathered in the town this afternoon for a prayer service to mark the 25th anniversary of the attack, reports RTE.

The Troubles’ single greatest atrocity was a bombing by the dissident Republican group Real IRA.

29 people died, including a woman seven months pregnant with twins, and hundreds more were injured.

Among the dead were a Spanish child on a school trip and three young boys from Buncrana, Co. Donegal.

No one has yet been convicted in connection with the attack.

The explosion came just four months after the signing of the Good Friday Agreement and was announced as signalling the end of the Troubles, reports RTE.

The service was held today in the memorial garden, just 200 meters from the blast site

It consists of 31 poles with a mirror on top of each, commemorating all the victims of that day.

In the place of the bomb stands a glass obelisk.

The actual anniversary of the bombing falls on Tuesday, August 15, but the event takes place on the Sunday closest to that date.

This is the first service since 2018 since wreaths were laid during the Covid pandemic

The Irish Government will be represented by Peter Burke, Minister of State for European Affairs and Defence, reports RTE.

29 dead in Omagh on 15 August 1998:

James Barker, 12, Buncrana, Co Donegal. Originally from Surrey, England.
Fernando Blasco Baselga, 12, Madrid, Spain.
Geraldine Breslin, 43, Omagh, Co Tyrone.
Deborah-Ann Cartwright, 20, Omagh, Co Tyrone.
Gareth Conway, 18, Carrickmore, Co Tyrone.
Breda Devine, 20 months, Donemana, Co Tyrone.
Oran Doherty, eight, Buncrana, Co Donegal.
Aiden Gallagher, 21, Omagh, Co Tyrone.
Esther Gibson, 36, Beragh, Co Tyrone.
Mary Grimes, 65, Beragh, Co Tyrone.
Olive Hawkes, 60, Omagh, Co Tyrone.
Julia Hughes, 21, Omagh, Co Tyrone.
Brenda Logue, 17, Omagh, Co Tyrone.
Ann McCombe, 45, Omagh, Co Tyrone.
Brian McCrory, 54, Omagh, Co Tyrone.
Samantha McFarland, 17, Omagh, Co Tyrone.
Sean McGrath, 61, Omagh, Co Tyrone.
Sean McLaughlin, 12, Buncrana, Co Donegal.
Jolene Marlow, 17, Omagh, Co Tyrone.
Avril Monaghan, 30, Augher, Co Tyrone (who was pregnant with twins).
Maura Monaghan, 18 months, Augher, Co Tyrone.
Alan Radford, 16, Omagh, Co Tyrone.
Rocio Abad Ramos, 23, Madrid, Spain.
Elizabeth Rush, 57, Omagh, Co Tyrone.
Veda Short, 46, Omagh, Co Tyrone.
Philomena Skelton, 39, Drumquin, Co Tyrone.
Fred White, 60, Omagh, Co Tyrone.
Bryan White, 27, Omagh, Co Tyrone.
Lorraine Wilson, 15, Omagh, Co Tyrone.

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