Appeal for peace as Omagh atrocity is recalled
THE PRESIDENT of Ireland led calls for a “culture of peace” as Omagh marks the 20th anniversary of the worst single atrocity of the Northern Ireland conflict.
Twenty nine innocents, including a woman pregnant with twins, died when a massive car bomb ripped through the Co Tyrone town just months after the 1998 Good Friday peace agreement was supposed to have largely ended violence.
A splinter dissident republican group opposed to the peace process, the Real IRA, was blamed for the carnage after inaccurate warnings meant police evacuated shoppers towards the bomb site.
Twenty years later, nobody has been convicted of murder and relatives of the dead will gather on the spot this afternoon for a short ceremony led by Omagh Churches Forum.
It will be followed by the ringing of a bell 32 times to reflect the 31 lives lost and an additional peal to remember all who have lost their lives through similar atrocities.
President Michael D Higgins said: “As we recall with deep sadness the deaths and the injuries at Omagh, we should use this moment to recognise the many ways in which we are all connected and the many ways in which we have sought to make peaceful progress over the last two decades.
“May we use this anniversary as we honour the victims, to re-emphasise the importance of building a culture of peace and tolerance on our island.”
The victims included Protestants and Catholics, tourists from Spain and others on a day trip from the nearby Republic of Ireland.
One of the biggest police manhunts in history unfolded, but criticism of the police investigation led to unfulfilled calls for a public inquiry.
Two faced prosecution for murder but were not convicted.