The film Omagh examines the events and aftermath of August 15th 1998 when a
Real IRA bomb claimed 31 lives.
It tells the story of the Omagh Support & Self Help Group (Omagh Victims
Group) as they strive to find the truth of what happened that day.
Unfortunately, on account of events I am at the heart of that story -
because we lost our 21-year-old son Aiden in the explosion.
It was just over two years ago that a meeting was arranged with Don Mullan,
Paul Greengrass, myself and other members of the group to discuss the
possibility of making a film.
We talked at length about the work of the families involved over the
previous three years.
We then went on to have a series of meetings, which resulted with a script
reading in our local hotel on January of this year.
It was a very difficult and painful evening. They listened to our comments
and adjusted the script accordingly.
After that it was up to the actors and directors to turn those flat pages
into a three-dimensional motion picture.
May of us attended filming in Dublin and Navan. We were told just two weeks
ago that the film premier would take place last Sunday in Belfast multiplex
in the Dublin Road.
As the days got nearer to the showing I was very nervous. We put all our
faith in the filmmakers and we could only hope that they would deliver.
Before we left for Belfast last Sunday I switched on Sky News, the breaking
story was that the Chechnya President had been assassinated while at a
football stadium.
Eight other people died and 37 were injured but the pictures of panic and
horror of a young child being carried away seriously injured, brought back
how little had changed in the world since the 1998 atrocity in Omagh.
Those images stayed with me for the rest of the day and are probably burnt
into my subconscious.
That is why we call it terrorism.
We arrived at the Europa hotel in Belfast - around 50 to 60 family members
from Omagh and Buncrana.
The organisers arranged for counselling support if needed.
The first 30 minutes of the film were the most difficult - in particular
the lead-up to the explosion was very intense.
When it happened the silence immediately afterwards was disorientating.
Then we began to hear the cries and sheer panic, the destruction and mayhem
was obvious.
The scene then moved to Omagh County Hospital, where it was obvious
everyone was trying to cope as best they could.
It showed how the bereaved families were directed to the leisure centre
where all the information was being collated.
It was a very painful and soul-destroying place to be, with families
waiting and hoping for news and many knowing the worst would come.
That day I waited 14 hours, and other families waited much longer and
sadly, at the end of that process for many there was very little to see.
The film then moved to the funerals. It was at this time that I became
aware of the enormity of what had happened when I met the Bishop at the
church gate, and he said he had 16 other funerals to go to that day.
The story moved to weeks later, showing the families starting to organise
themselves and formalising into the group. I was elected chairman.
We started by having meetings with our local council and the Omagh fund and
then we met with the police.
It was at this point we were concerned that no one North or South had been
charged with the Omagh atrocity.
The film shows the meeting that I had with former agent Kevin Fulton.
This resulted from an article by Greg Harkin, a journalist with the Sunday
People, and started a widespread debate that the police had been made aware
by Fulton of a large bomb coming North days prior to the Omagh bombing.
The ombudsman's office decided it was in the public interest to investigate
these allegations.
After a three-month inquiry, Nuala O'Loan and her team came to Omagh to
tell the families the result of her findings. We were all devastated.
The chief constable was furious and he did not conceal his feelings. He
said he would publicly hang himself if he was wrong.
No such hanging took place.
In the meantime I had made contact through an intermediary with Garda
Detective John White, who told me that he was responsible for controlling
an informant who alleged that he was asked to supply two cars to dissident
republicans the week prior to Omagh.
But he was told three days before Omagh that they had acquired the cars
from a different source.
The informant was taken into a witness protection programme and John
White's allegations were investigated by a three-man team of senior civil
servants.
The informant was never interviewed.
Their findings were presented to the Irish Government at the end of last
year, and they have consistently refused to make the report or its finding
available to the families, despite their promises to do so.
Omagh is a very complex story and it is hoped that by pulling all these
elements together, people will have a better understanding of what has
happened.
Some people say this film is too horrific or has come too soon for people
who were affected by the atrocity.
My answer is that no one will be forced to view the film. Many of those
most affected assisted the film makers.
I have not heard many of those who oppose the film being quite so vocal
against those who are guilty of committing this mass murder.
The film ends on a high note with the families launching their civil action
against those they believe were responsible for the atrocity.
This is a story of ordinary people who are determined to make sure that
those responsible for destroying the lives of so many innocent people will
not be allowed to get away with murder at Omagh.
