IRELAND: FUNERAL OF 3 YOUNGSTERS KILLED IN OMAGH BOMBING

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(19 Aug 1998) Natural Sound
Thousands of mourners in the seaside town of Buncrana in the Republic of Ireland have attended the funeral service for three young victims of the Omagh bombing.
They were joined by Irish President Mary McAleese, Northern Ireland's First Minister David Trimble and Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams.
James Barker and Sean McLoughlin, who were both 12 years old, and Oran Doherty, who was 8, were killed in Saturday's terrorist blast in Omgah.
In Northern Ireland, Mary Grimes, whose daughter and granddaughter were the first buried victims, and 17-year-old Brenda Logue were ladi to rest.
Irish President Mary McAleese was among the mourners paying their respects to the family of the three young boys killed in Saturday's Omagh bombing.
She visited the family home of one of the victims to pay a private tribute to the youngsters and offer comfort grieving family and friends.
McAleese had recently received a poem about the hopes for peace in Northern Ireland written by a small group of schoolchildren, including Sean McLoughlin, one of the young victims.
Now, the words of Sean's poem which asked for opponents to peace not to 'shatter our dream' seem all the more poignant as his family prepared to lay him to rest.
Hundreds of family, friends and classmates of the young victims waited on the street outside.
Sean McLoughlin and James Barker, both 12, and eight year old Oran Doherty were on a day trip to Omagh when they were caught in the horrific blast which killed 28 people.
The three had gone to Omagh with a group of Spanish exchange students to visit a historical park in the area.
More than 200 others were also injured in the blast.
The Republican splinter group, the 'Real I-R-A,' has admitted responsibility for the bombing.
But their apologies for the civilians killed in the blast have done little to ease the pain of these people as they wound their way through the grey, rain swept streets.
The silence was broken only by the cries of despair, sadness and anger as they followed the final journey of the three young innocent victims.
Among the mourners to join the funeral cortege were Sinn Fein's Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness.
The tiny coffins were carried in a sea of mourners on the sombre walk to St. Mary's Catholic Church.
The First Minister of the Northern Ireland Assembly Minister David Trimble joined President McAleese and others at the service.
Not all the mourners were able to fit into the tiny church, and many listened to the service led by Bishop Seamus Hearty from outside.
It was the second day in a string of funerals to take place for those who lost their lives in the blast.
Afterwards, distraught family members followed silently behind the hearses, which were decorated with flowers and footballs in memory of the young boys.
Little Oran Doherty's coffin was draped with the green-and-white banner of the soccer team he loved, Glasgow Celtic.
Two more of those victims were also buried in Northern Ireland on Wednesday.
In Beragh, to the southeast of Omagh, funeral services were held for Mary Grimes, who, at 65 years old, was the oldest victim in the attack.
Three generations of women within her family were killed by the terrorist explosion.
On Tuesday, her 30-year-old pregnant daughter Avril Monaghan and 18-month-old granddaughter were the first of Omagh's dead to be buried.
Mourners also gathered in Loughmacrory for the funeral for 17-year-old Brenda Logue.
Family and friends gathered at St. Mary's church to remember her.
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