'˜I'm ashamed at my church over Enniskillen memorial refusal'

The wife of an Enniskillen Poppy Day bomb survivor says she is 'ashamed' at her church's rejection of a permanent memorial to the 12 victims.
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The Ely Centre group commissioned a large stone tablet, which lists the names of the 12 people who died as a result of the 1987 IRA blast, with a view to having it on permanent display at the scene of the atrocity.

However, St Michael’s Diocesan Trust owns the land around the bomb site and has decided to reject the proposal, citing a number of concerns.

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Monsignor Peter O’Reilly, parish priest of Enniskillen and a Trust director, said the size of the memorial poses “insurmountable” problems for access to the site, and also said there were issues around maintenance and “liability” for insurance purposes.

Eleven people were killed – including three married couples – and 63 were injured when the bomb detonated during the annual Remembrance service at the town’s cenotaph.

Another victim, Ronnie Hill, died after spending 13 years in a coma.

Steven Gault, whose father Samuel died in the blast, said: “Hurt does not scrape the surface of how we are feeling.”

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He asked: “Why can’t we have a simple, innocent memorial to remember our loved ones murdered by terrorists 30 years ago?”

Stephen Gault, who lost his father Samuel Gault in the Enniskillen Poppy Day bomb remembers with his wife Sharon during the service at the unveiling and dedication of the memorial for the victims in November 2017. PresseyeStephen Gault, who lost his father Samuel Gault in the Enniskillen Poppy Day bomb remembers with his wife Sharon during the service at the unveiling and dedication of the memorial for the victims in November 2017. Presseye
Stephen Gault, who lost his father Samuel Gault in the Enniskillen Poppy Day bomb remembers with his wife Sharon during the service at the unveiling and dedication of the memorial for the victims in November 2017. Presseye

Mr Gault’s wife Sharon, who attends St Michael’s, tweeted: “As a Enniskillen parishioner I am ashamed of St Michael’s Trust.

“I can confirm that they did not correspond with us during the last seven months.”

It is understood the families associated with the Ely Centre will gather next week to discuss how they will respond to the latest development.

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The proposed memorial site is adjacent to what is now the Clinton Centre – named after US President Bill Clinton and designed to promote peace building.

The Very Rev Kenneth R J Hall St. Macartin's Cathedral Enniskillen with The Rt Hon The Viscount Brookeborough Her Majesty's Lord Lieutant for Co Fermanagh unveil the memorial in  Enniskillen for the victims of the 1987 Poppy Day Bomb. It was removed and placed into storage after the ceremony. Photo: PresseyeThe Very Rev Kenneth R J Hall St. Macartin's Cathedral Enniskillen with The Rt Hon The Viscount Brookeborough Her Majesty's Lord Lieutant for Co Fermanagh unveil the memorial in  Enniskillen for the victims of the 1987 Poppy Day Bomb. It was removed and placed into storage after the ceremony. Photo: Presseye
The Very Rev Kenneth R J Hall St. Macartin's Cathedral Enniskillen with The Rt Hon The Viscount Brookeborough Her Majesty's Lord Lieutant for Co Fermanagh unveil the memorial in Enniskillen for the victims of the 1987 Poppy Day Bomb. It was removed and placed into storage after the ceremony. Photo: Presseye

In a statement, the Trust said: “The Trust is not in a position to sanction the siting of this memorial as proposed.

“We are happy that the redeveloped Clinton Centre will include a memorial to the victims of the Enniskillen bombing and the Trust hopes that a suitable location for the Ely Centre memorial will be found.”

It said it was sensitive to legacy issues surrounding the bomb and had given careful consideration to key questions like public access, obligations to its tenants (the Fermanagh University Partnership Board), the ongoing upkeep, security and sustainability of the memorial and potential future public works in the area.

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“These considerations have made it manifestly clear that the sheer size and scale of the proposed memorial pose insurmountable problems in terms of access at the proposed site.”

The University of Ulster, Dublin City University and the University of Massachusetts have recently announced plans for regeneration of the Clinton Centre.

That work will integrate a memorial to the victims of the “horrific” attack, the Trust said.

“Not only does it not make sense to move to place a very large memorial in the proposed location, given the potential refurbishment of the entrance to the Clinton Centre, but we believe that visual and aesthetic considerations arising from the size and scale of the memorial mitigate against positioning it at this location.”

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Monsignor O’Reilly said the Trust’s concerns were “not about rejecting the permanent memorial being erected”.

He said: “The Trust has no objection to a permanent memorial being erected to the victims of the Enniskillen bombing.

“The issue is about this particular memorial being put in this particular place beside the front door of the Clinton Centre and we are declining this particular proposal...we are open to other proposals.”

Monsignor O’Reilly also said there is “the matter of maintenance and liability” involved in the request.

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“The terrible events of November 1987 took place there and that makes it a really important place,” he said.

“I believe that the events of that day marked a turning of the tide in the history of the whole island, and as such that should never be forgotten, and never will be forgotten, which is why an initiative such as this is appropriate for that space.

“There is a commitment on behalf of the Trust to be involved in a memorial,” he told the BBC’s Good Morning Ulster programme.

Kenny Donaldson of the South East Fermanagh Foundation (SEFF), which supports many of those bereaved and injured by the Enniskillen bomb said the refusal signals a “failure of leadership”.

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He said: “Up and down the length of this island exist graves, headstones and other memorials within church graveyards, a significant number of which pay homage or remember individuals who were responsible for acts of terrorism against the community.

“Let’s be clear; the bereaved families of the Enniskillen Poppy Day bomb merely want to site a dignified memorial on the site of where their loved ones were callously murdered in an act of sectarian hatred. The families have been failed for 30 years through the failure to bring those responsible to justice, they were promised a memorial garden close to the site of the bomb which never materialised, they witnessed a political project advance before their eyes in terms of the building of The Clinton Centre, they were also bystanders to the town’s war memorial unjustly being tampered with via peace doves added and the names of their murdered loved ones airbrushed as having been ‘killed.’

“How many more insults must the families of the bereaved endure?”

Mr Donaldson added: “Even at this late stage...we appeal with the church and all other stakeholders concerned to show leadership, demonstrate genuine concern for the afflicted of Enniskillen – the innocent victims/survivors of the Poppy Day bomb. Morality must triumph in this circumstance.”

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Ulster Unionist MLA Rosemary Barton expressed disappointment at the church’s rejection of the memorial proposal.

She said hopes were now fading that at agreed resolution could be found.

“The victims of the Enniskillen bomb have not had much comfort in bringing any degree of progress towards a sense of closure to the terrible losses and hurt of that fateful day and its aftermath of thirty years ago.

“The very minimum they should expect is facilitation for their memorial, somewhere that family members can hopefully take a level of comfort from. It’s the very least they deserve.”

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Mrs Barton said he had written to the Trust some time ago, seeking their support to help progress the matter, and added: “I am aware that there could be legal technicalities over Diocesan owned property, however the matter has dragged on for some time and I understand that legal issues have not been raised in their reasons for refusal of the siting of the memorial.

“In all of this we must be aware of the families that continue to hurt and grieve from this despicable act of IRA terrorism.

“It is sad that this matter has not been progressed and give some comfort to the victims families. If necessary I am willing, as a public representative to meet with the Trust and discuss the matter further.”

The rejection of the Enniskillen memorial proposal is disappointing but not surprising, Jim Allister has said.

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The TUV leader said: “Having written to Monsignor O’Reilly back In November and having not yet received a reply I am not terribly surprised.

“It is telling that...we have a play park named after a man arrested in possession of a gun used in the Kingsmills Massacre and countless memorials to IRA terrorists, none of which seek planning permission, and are allowed to remain unmolested by land owners or the authorities yet we have a church refusing permission for this memorial.”

Mr Allister added: “It seems the true ‘spirit of Enniskillen’ is that the victims of the Remembrance Day massacre cannot be remembered in the open nor can the IRA be named as their murderers.”

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