Families pay loving tribute to murder victims on the 40th anniversary of bomb blast
THE family of Garry Ewing has said they can “never forgive” or “forget” his brutal murder alongside family friend Helen Woodhouse on the 40th anniversary of their killing because the terrorists involved have neither repented nor been held accountable for their actions.
Garry and Helen were murdered by the Provisional IRA after a bomb was placed under Garry’s car at the Lakeland Forum car park in Enniskillen on November 9, 1982.
In a statement on the 40th anniversary of Garry’s murder, a family spokesperson said: “Garry was a loving father of two young daughters and a good husband.
“He was also a caring and supportive brother to his young sister and two brothers.
“He was also our late mother’s much-loved son, to whom he was very attentive. Upon the death of our dad, Garry became head of the wider Ewing family circle; he became the key provider and support.”
Garry was very much part of the Enniskillen and wider Fermanagh community and was proud to be living in the area. He lived for his wife and girls.
On the night of his murder, Garry was giving back by instructing others in the sport of archery at the local leisure centre; one of those participating in the class was a family friend and babysitter to his daughters,
“
Their human rights were stolen from them, while those closest to them were and are still left with the enormous loss
Helen Woodhouse.
The family spokesperson continued: “Both Helen and Garry set out for the Lakeland Forum on that fateful evening as ordinary members of the community to partake in recreation, and were heinously and brutally murdered by those who skulked in the darkness and who felt they had the right to take the lives of other human beings.
“They were unconcerned by the trauma, heartache and devastation which inevitably would be caused in the wake of their cowardly, dirty actions that night.
“Both were ripped from their families, and robbed of the rest of their lives – their human rights were stolen from them, while those closest to them were and are still left with the enormous loss, the mental traumatic scars and legacy of such callous events.”
The spokesperson added that the family will “never forget and will never forgive because the terrorists responsible have not repented, nor have they been held accountable for their actions”.
“He tried to do his best by others, and for this reason joined the RUC GC; he strove to serve the full community, and his murder was not only an immense loss to our family, it was a huge loss to the wider community,” the family spokesperson concluded.
Fondly remembered
Helen’s family wished to also have it recorded that Helen is fondly remembered by her sisters, Lorna, Linda and Joy.
Paying tribute to Garry and Helen on the 40th anniversary of their murders, Kenny Donaldson, South East Fermanagh Foundation’s (SEFF) Director of Services said: “As well as devastating two immediate families, the murders of Garry Ewing and Helen Woodhouse shocked the local community.
“The placement of a bomb under Garry’s car within a busy car park area was a reckless act.
“In seeking to assassinate Garry, the Provisional IRA were also prepared to steal away others’ lives as collateral damage.
“There are many others outside of the Woodhouse and Ewing families who were impacted by the events of that fateful day; the murder of two young people aged just 29 and 31 years old whilst engaged in recreational sport at a local public and community amenity was a callous and unjustifiable act of terrorism.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the Woodhouse and Ewing families, today and every day,” he said.