By 
POWERFUL poems were read aloud and flowers have been laid at the Omagh bomb memorial by a group of young people.
The emotional event saw students from Roosevelt High School, Seattle, Washington and the Oakgrove Integrated College in Derry visit Omagh to learn about the 1998 atrocity.
Thirty-one people, including unborn twins, were killed when an IRA car bomb exploded at the bottom of Market Street on August 15. As well as the blast, shards of glass and metal sliced through the crowd of civilians.
It was an atrocity that not only affected those directly injured and bereaved, but impacted significantly on the wider community. Michael Gallagher, whose son Aiden was killed in the blast, said that Saturday’s memorial event was a poignant reflection for all of the students.
“It was a wonderful service with all 18 students from the Derry and Seattle schools,” said Michael.
“Each student had a flower dedicated to each victim of the bomb and they laid it on the memorial garden during the service.
“After hearing some scripture at the gardens we all went to the Obelisk on Market Street. I spoke to the students about what happened on that day.
“It had a great impact on all of the students, including some of the Seattle students who have Irish heritage.”
“They all take an active interest in what happened here and speaking to victims helps them understand how conflict affects people’s lives.
“We have a great relationship with the teachers who come every year with their students to the memorial garden,” said Michael.
“The aim of the visit is to help the students understand conflict resolution and good relations, especially following the Good Friday Agreement.”
Poems read aloud on the day included ‘All You Who Sleeps Tonight’, by Vikram Seth, ‘The Road Not Taken’ by Robert Frost, ‘From Requiem For Ground Zero’ by Steven Berkoff, ‘New Every Morning’ by Susan Coolidge, and ‘Stop All The Clocks’ by W H Auden.
