“Aiden said ‘I won’t be long’. That was the last time I saw him”

OMAGH bomb campaigner, Michael Gallagher, has said his only regret since the 1998 atrocity has been that he did not spent more time with his family.

Mr Gallagher is seen as one of the key people whose fight for justice has resulted in the public inquiry being held.

But at the Strule Arts Centre this morning, he told the inquiry chairman, Lord Turnbull, the only consolation is that the Inquiry is being held.

“I would have to say that I would have liked to have spent more time with my family and less campaigning,” he said.

“It was just the way things turned out. We do not have the benefit of hindsight, but both me and my family would have benefitted if I had done less campaigning. The only possible consolation is that we are sitting here today.”

Mr Gallagher has listened to each of the commemorations so far and found them to be enormously moving.

He also spoke of the last time on which he had spoken to his son, Aiden, less than two hours before the explosion which claimed the lives of 31 people on Market Street at 3.10pm on Saturday August 15, 1998.

“I remember telling him where to park his car that would be convenient to the shop that he was going to,” Mr Gallagher said.

“He turned around and walked down the hall and he turned back and said “I won’t be long’ and that was the last time I saw him. Less than an hour later I heard and explosion and knew exactly what it was. I could see a pall of smoke rising.”

Mr Gallagher went on to recall the moment that he returned to his home after identifying his son’s remains.

He said he was dreading having to inform his wife, Patsy and daughter, Cat, that Aiden wouldn’t be coming home.

“We stood hugging and I just said that Aiden would not be coming home,” he added.