Moment's silence held to mark the 25th anniversary of Omagh bomb

A moment of silence in Market Street in Omagh has marked the time that a dissident republican car bomb devastated the Co Tyrone town 25 years ago.

Some bereaved family members laid single white roses and then said prayers at the glass obelisk which marks the spot where the Real IRA attack occurred on August 15 1998.

A crowd of more than 100 people lined the streets as the short ceremony took place.

Twenty-nine people, including a woman pregnant with twins, were killed by the bomb planted by the Real IRA, the worst loss of life in a single incident in Northern Ireland's troubled past.

It came just months after the historic Belfast/Good Friday Agreement.

No-one has ever been criminally convicted of the attack.

Stanley McCombe, who lost his wife Ann in the bombing, said of the anniversary: "It is a sad day for all those who have suffered in this atrocity."

Speaking to the PA news agency, he said: "I think about this every day, not just today, not just the anniversary - there's always something that will bring it to your attention.

"You walk through the door of my house, close the door behind you - my dog greets me, but that's it."

Kevin Skelton, who lost his wife Philomena in the bombing, said Tuesday's gathering shows "people have not forgotten".

"Two of my grandchildren, who are going back to England this evening again, they laid a rose each and they can look back in years to come that they laid a rose for their granny who they never met.

"That's something they'll have with them for the rest of their lives."

Mr Skelton reflected on the bombing: "The memories are there all the time. You just can't get them out of your head, no matter how hard you try."

Two church leaders who took part in the private service for families said they were conscious that many people "still feel the pain" from the Omagh bombing.

Fr Eugene Hasson said they held had a prayer service with the families in the library before the laying of flowers.

"These people want to deal with a terrible difficulty, they want move forward and they need the support of people around them in order to do that."

Rev Canon Robert Clarke Robert Clarke said the event was about solidarity and healing, adding: "We suffer in silence, but it is good to share that suffering and I think we've hopefully done that today."

Tuesday's event was organised by the Families Moving On victims' support group.

It follows a memorial service, attended by British and Irish Government ministers, which took place at the Omagh memorial garden on Sunday.

In a statement marking the 25th anniversary of the bombing, Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris said lessons must be learnt from the devastation caused by the atrocity.

He said the Government continues to have the deepest sympathy for all those who were affected by the atrocity.

"The Omagh atrocity, just like other acts of terrorism before or since, had absolutely no justification, and never will."

In February, he announced the Government would establish an independent statutory inquiry into the preventability of the Omagh bombing.