Seskinore woman killed just days after birth of new new grandson

ON the night before the Omagh bombing, Veda Short from Seskinore was in Belfast for the happy occasion of meeting her new grandson Lee.

Veda had taken photographs of the little baby and got to hold him. On the night of the bombing, she was planning on baby-sitting for her daughter.

Veda was one of three members of staff from Watterson’s on High Street who were among the 31 people killed on the August 15, 1998 atrocity. She was the head of department at the store, and often took her lunch late to ensure that her staff members were able to get theirs earlier.

Born in 1942, Veda was from Dooish in Drumquin. She moved to the Moylagh Road in Seskinore following her marriage in 1963.

Over the following decade, she worked in Caldwell Eggs to ensure that she was at home for her four children Francis, Ian, Elaine and Alison. A keen bowler with her husband, she was also an active member of the Women’s Institute and her local church.

“She was the centre of our family and had a very loving and caring nature. Our world was shattered on Saturday August 15, 1998. We never got the chance to say goodbye,” the family’s said in their pen-portrait at today’s hearing of the public inquiry.

Her husband was described as a ‘broken man’ following the bomb as his world had ‘just collapsed.’ Mr Short died just six years later, and was described at the inquiry as ‘another casualty.’

“We lost both our parents on that awful day,” they added.

“We all did our best to look after dad but it wasn’t easy as we had all been dramatically affected by that day.”

Her children said they missed their mother’s calming influence, her hugs and wise guidance.

They described how she has missed out on so many family events and milestones over the past 26 years, including the marriage of her son, Ian, the weddings of eight of her grandchildren and the births of grandchildren and great-grandchildren.