Omagh and Fermanagh council’s motion opposing the extradition of Liam Campbell seemed to be designed to cause pain to victims of the bomb

My name is John McClaughry and I served in the RUCR/RUC and PSNI for over 31 years.
By John McClaughry
Published 16th Jul 2020, 17:00 BST
The aftermath of the republican Omagh bomb massacre in August 1998. No one has ever been convicted of murdering the 29 victims who died. A dissident terrorist Colum Murphy was found guilty of plotting to cause the blast. The Real IRA leader Michael McKevitt was found guilty of directing terror. And in a civil case in 2009, Liam Campbell, Colm Murphy and Seamus Daly were all found liable for the atrocityThe aftermath of the republican Omagh bomb massacre in August 1998. No one has ever been convicted of murdering the 29 victims who died. A dissident terrorist Colum Murphy was found guilty of plotting to cause the blast. The Real IRA leader Michael McKevitt was found guilty of directing terror. And in a civil case in 2009, Liam Campbell, Colm Murphy and Seamus Daly were all found liable for the atrocity
The aftermath of the republican Omagh bomb massacre in August 1998. No one has ever been convicted of murdering the 29 victims who died. A dissident terrorist Colum Murphy was found guilty of plotting to cause the blast. The Real IRA leader Michael McKevitt was found guilty of directing terror. And in a civil case in 2009, Liam Campbell, Colm Murphy and Seamus Daly were all found liable for the atrocity

Since retiring I had been elected in 2019 as a Councillor on Fermanagh Omagh District Council. On the 8th of July 2020 a motion under ‘any other business’ was brought before the Policy and Resources Committee, of which all councillors are members, the outcome is now well publicised.

I have found myself revisiting the year 1998 over and over. It is hard to get it out of my head, I feel highly emotional and I can’t concentrate; I have broken sleep.

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That year I was exposed to the very worst and the very best of humanity. In Spring 1998 I was involved in the searches and finding of a murdered teenager’s body, the subsequent arrests and the local population rioting due to our proactive action.

Liam Campbell, who was found liable of the 1998 Omagh bomb in a civil action. Lithuia wants to extradite him from the Republic of IrelandLiam Campbell, who was found liable of the 1998 Omagh bomb in a civil action. Lithuia wants to extradite him from the Republic of Ireland
Liam Campbell, who was found liable of the 1998 Omagh bomb in a civil action. Lithuia wants to extradite him from the Republic of Ireland

In July I was deployed on duty at Drumcree when loyalist terrorists threw a blast bomb which exploded feet from me, injuring six of my friends, four of these had life changing injuries, three would never work as police officers again and the fourth was desk bound for the remainder of his career.

August the 15th 1998 was next. I received a call at home and told to get in straight away because a bomb has gone off in Omagh with multiple casualties. I immediately went to work, and was instructed to put in place a traffic diversion directing all but emergency vehicles away from the centre of Omagh.

There was a constant flow of traffic including nurses looking to see if they should go to the hospital to help, and people looking to donate blood. I couldn’t tell much to the people who stopped, even though I could see real fear in the faces. I also felt sorry for some of my colleagues; I had been at a traffic point and had seen none of devastation.

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The next morning, I discovered my buddy Gerry had gone to the temporary morgue that night to find his cousin was one of the dead; I didn’t know what to say to him. I spent the Sunday protecting what was a crime scene; it was eerily quiet. I went home late that night, drunk some whiskey and was back at work the next day at 0630; that was my routine for a number of days.

The Policy and Resources Committee of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council backed a motion to opposed the extradition of Liam Campbell to LithuaniaThe Policy and Resources Committee of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council backed a motion to opposed the extradition of Liam Campbell to Lithuania
The Policy and Resources Committee of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council backed a motion to opposed the extradition of Liam Campbell to Lithuania

On the 15th of December I was almost killed in a traffic accident which wasn’t my fault, and I had to be cut out of my car. I avoided serious injury and for my family’s sake, glad to survive but felt guilty knowing that the people of Omagh that had suffered as result of this republican terrorist attack were going to have a terrible Christmas.

I always thought I was fairly lucky and had made it out relatively unscathed, but the actions of the vote on the extradition of Liam Campbell got me thinking about all this stuff.

It has taken days to sort it in my head. My wife and children say it’s because I have compassion and empathy. I cannot believe that any right-minded person would not have realised the extreme hurt this would visit upon the victims and families of the Omagh bomb.

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The victims and survivors of Omagh are not able to shut these memories out. They have those constant spaces in their hearts where they hold their loved ones. For those injured they have the continual pain and scars to remind them, and those exposed to the devastation have constant pictures in their heads of the horror.

John McClaughry, an Ulster Unionist councillor on Fermanagh and Omagh District Council. He served in the RUCR/RUC and PSNI for over 31 yearsJohn McClaughry, an Ulster Unionist councillor on Fermanagh and Omagh District Council. He served in the RUCR/RUC and PSNI for over 31 years
John McClaughry, an Ulster Unionist councillor on Fermanagh and Omagh District Council. He served in the RUCR/RUC and PSNI for over 31 years

The council vote is totally lacking of any humanity and I believe this motion was orchestrated to create as much pain as the bomb.

In fact, I personally believe it is another form of a terrorist attack to bring fear, pain, distress and heart-ache back to a community that has never and will never really heal for generations.

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Related topics:OmaghFermanaghPSNI