Son defiant on blast memorial
THE son of one of the victims of the Enniskillen Poppy Day bombing remains defiant in his quest to have a memorial to those who lost their lives reinstated ahead of the 25th anniversary of the IRA atrocity later this year.
Stephen Gault was speaking ahead of holding a second protest in the Fermanagh town this evening demanding that an original tribute be restored at the town’s fire station.
A photo montage of the 11 innocent victims of the terrorist blast was replaced by the fire service last October.
But relatives are angry that images of the deceased have been replaced with those of firefighters working at the scene of the 1987 blast.
The original memorial was taken down in 2007 following an anonymous complaint, prompting the Northern Ireland Ombudsman to deem the fire service’s actions as “ill-considered”.
Mr Gault – whose father Samuel was killed when republican bombers targeted the Remembrance Sunday commemoration – will hand a letter of protest to the fire officer in charge at the Enniskillen station.
In October, the Bellanaleck man was joined by up to 70 supporters when he participated in a similar gesture.
Speaking ahead of the fresh protest, Mr Gault vowed to continue his campaign ahead of the landmark anniversary of the terrorist attack in November.
“We are trying to keep the pressure on so that the [fire service] see common sense,” said Mr Gault.
“They have told us it will not go back up but if we keep the pressure on, they may change their mind.”
Not ruling out staging a further protest at the fire service’s headquarters in Lisburn, Mr Gault said 2012 was a “very poignant” year for victims’ relatives.
He said: “It would be nice if [the fire service] put the original back up in time for the anniversary.”
In December, Health Minister Edwin Poots – whose department has responsibility for the fire service – gave his backing to the new memorial in Enniskillen.
A fire service spokesperson said: “We have been made aware of the planned protest outside Enniskillen fire station on Thursday and we are respectful of the right to a peaceful protest.”
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Weather for Belfast
Tuesday 29 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 12 C to 21 C
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