Plaque unveiled in honour of three young Omagh drowning victims

THE Blair Memorial Flute Band held a special event at Lovers Retreat in Omagh on Sunday in which they unveiled a new plaque to mark 50 years since three young lives were tragically lost in the nearby Camowen River.

The band originally formed in the aftermath of the tragedy in 1975 that claimed the lives of Heather Birney (15), Andrew Thomas Blair (25), and his brother William John Blair (23).

The unveiling of the new plaque was followed by a band parade and church service, with vital funds raised for two local charities on the day.

Band Leader David Swann thanked those who attended for their generous contribution.

“We would like to thank every who attended both the memorial service and the church service,” he said.

“We collected a total of £1635 on the day in aid of both Marie Curie and Care For Cancer.

“We had a very good day as a band with plenty of numbers turning out, and it was nice to see relatives of both the Birney and Blair family in attendance.”

Those in attendance included Heather Birney’s brother David and numerous cousins of the Blair brothers.

“We would also like to thank Rev Valerie Thom and Rev Jane Nelson for leading the service.”