Student art competition marks 25th anniversary of Omagh bombing

OMAGH charity ‘Families Moving On’ recently hosted an art competition to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Omagh bomb.

Pupils from Christian Brothers School, Drumragh Integrated College, Loreto Grammar School, Omagh Academy, Omagh High School and Sacred Heart College all submitted art for the competition. Year 10 and 11 students were asked to produce an image which reflects Omagh 25 years on following the bomb in 1998 around the theme of peace, healing and hope.

Independent judges, Briege McClean, Helen McFarland and Wendy Graham were invited to assess the students’ submitted artwork.

First prize of £1,000 was won by the Christian Brothers School for artwork by Matthew Kerr, Year 11, second prize of £500 was awarded to Loreto Grammar School with artwork by Aine Campbell, Year 11 and third prize of £200 was awarded to Omagh High School for a collaborative piece by Emily Hawkes, Terri Acheson, Jessica Gibson, Sara Concalves Gomes and Lauren Armstrong, Year 10.

Families Moving On recognises the 25th anniversary will be poignant for those families that lost loved ones or indeed families whose loved ones sustained life changing injuries. The group is an interdenominational victims and survivors group set up to support all those affected by the Omagh bomb and other terrorist related incidents during the troubles.

A public exhibition of all the submitted artwork will be on display at Omagh Library from August 1 for two weeks.