An art gallery, pretty clothing stores, attractive cafes: Market Street, Omagh’s main artery, is a reflection of this small town in the center of Northern Ireland: lively and prosperous. With the exception of a glass column planted on the pavement at the bottom of the street and an odd monument by the river consisting of mirrors fixed to the end of poles, nothing reminds us that the peaceful capital of County Tyrone was the scene of the worst attack in Northern Ireland. On August 15, 1998, four months after the signing of the Good Friday peace treaty (April 10, 1998), a car bomb exploded at the bottom of Market Street, killing 29 people, including twelve children and teenagers as well as twelve women – including one pregnant with twins. The victims were all civilians, there were Catholics, Protestants, and even two Spanish tourists.
In Belfast, the Northern Irish authorities are preparing to commemorate the twenty-five years of this historic peace treaty which put an end to thirty years of civil war between Protestants (unionists and loyalists, favorable to the maintenance of the province in the United United) and Catholics (Republicans, for the reunification of Ireland). US President Joe Biden is expected on Tuesday April 11 to highlight the role of conciliator played by the United States in resolving the conflict. But, in Omagh, this anniversary will revive the memory of an unnamed tragedy.
For the families of the victims, the memory will be all the more painful as justice has still not been rendered. “I have the impression that everyone wanted to forget Omagh”, testifies Kevin Skelton, who lost his wife, Philomena, in the explosion. The British government finally accepted the principle of a public inquiry, in February, to find out to what extent this tragedy could have been avoided. “It won’t bring us back the victims, it will just save the lawyers money”, says Mr. Skelton bitterly.
“Seriously flawed” investigation
In the summer of 1998, peace settled in Northern Ireland, but it was fragile. The main Protestant political parties have refused to endorse the Good Friday Treaty, which establishes an equal sharing of power with Catholics, causing them to lose their traditional pre-eminence. Republican dissident groups still refuse to lay down their arms. On Saturday August 15, in the early afternoon, coming from the Republic of Ireland, a stolen car parked at the bottom of Market Street, opposite the clothing store SD Kells, a local institution. Three anonymous phone calls were made to Ulster TV and a charity, warning of an impending explosion.
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