Death of talented teenager inflicted wound on family that will never heal
Death of talented teenager inflicted wound on family that will never heal
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The sister of a teenager killed in the Omagh bomb has told a public inquiry his death left a wound in the family that will never heal. Gareth Conway, 18, went to Omagh town centre on the day of the 1998 explosion to buy new jeans and collect contact lenses ahead of a date with his girlfriend that evening.
His sister Shawneen Conway told the inquiry into the Real IRA outrage that he was the “angel” of the family whose loss had left a “permanent void” in all their lives. Addressing the chairman Lord Turnbull with her sister Michaela at her side, Ms Conway said their brother had left behind a “legacy of love, hard work and quiet strength that continues to be felt by those who knew him”.
“Gareth was a diligent, conscientious and humble young man who approached everything he did with a sense of care and precision,” she said. Ms Conway spoke of her brother’s passion for woodwork and building things with his hands. The inquiry was then shown a picture of a model of the local chapel he had built out of clothes pegs.
She said Gareth loved animals, especially dogs, and also enjoyed playing soccer and gaelic football. “At 18, he had all a young man would want,” she said. “He was very happy and looking forward to the next stage in his life. He had his driver’s licence, a job in Omagh Meats, he was playing the game he loved.
