Omagh Bombing Inquiry hears tributes to oldest and youngest atrocity victims
Omagh Bombing Inquiry hears tributes to oldest and youngest atrocity victims
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The Omagh Bombing Inquiry has remembered the oldest and youngest victims of the atrocity. The Real IRA bomb attack on August 15 1998 came on the 66th birthday of former nurse and mother-of-11 Mary Grimes. She died in the atrocity alongside her daughter Avril Monaghan, who was pregnant with twin girls, and her daughter Maura Monaghan who was just 20 months old and the youngest of the 29 victims.
Inquiry chairman Lord Turnbull described the multi-generational loss as something that “constitutes an incomprehensible loss” and paid tribute to their family for sharing their memories of their loved ones. The probe, which sits at the Strule Arts Centre in the Co Tyrone town, also recalled the second youngest victim, Breda Devine, 20 months, and 16-year-old Alan Radford on Wednesday.
It was the second day in a planned four weeks of commemorative hearings for all victims as well as those impacted. The first tributes on Tuesday were paid to Fernando Blasco Baselga, 12, and Rocio Abad Ramos, 23, two Spanish tourists killed in the bombing.
Bereaved families and survivors gathered at the Strule Arts Centre for the second day of commemorative hearings, which included evidence from Claire Hayes about her brother. Outside the inquiry, concern was expressed as to whether the inquiry, set up to probe whether the attack could reasonably have been prevented, will be able to uncover the full truth.
