My mother’s death is still awful, and it still matters
FOR Aileen Quinton, the 30th anniversary of the Enniskillen bombing is a surreal moment.
Three decades after she was told her mother, Alberta (72), had been murdered in the blast, the pain is as raw as ever.
“It’s so hard to believe that it’s been 30 years. There’s just an unreality about it,” she says.
“At the time, it just felt too awful to be true and in many ways it still is. I’m no more used to it. It’s still awful and it still matters.”
Ms Quinton remembers her mother, a retired nurse, as a lively and funny woman, much loved by all she cared for in the local hospital.
She says: “My mother had a great sense of humour and a great laugh. She was born to be a nurse, she just had a great way with her.
“Her two philosophies in life were to help people wherever you can and have lots of fun. She always combined the two in everything she did.
“Sometimes when I would walk round the town, I could hardly get anywhere without people coming up to me to say their relatives had been nursed by my mum and how grateful they were for her care.
“There was a marked contrast between her and the people who murdered her. She was dedicated to people’s health and well being, making their deaths as easy as possible, not like the IRA.”
Ms Quinton’s grief has been exacerbated by events that have happened since the bombing, including the presence of politicians at the funeral of former deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness earlier this year.