It is a sad day when there can be no memorial to Enniskillen bomb

It is a sad day indeed when there cannot be a memorial to Northern Ireland’s dead who did not know they were going to die that day by the hands of others and those who were maimed and injured.

The dead and hurt should not be politicised. They deserve that at least.

The failure by the Catholic Church to let it go ahead is surprising, in lieu of what appears to be religion, politics, and issues to do with the poppy.

The Catholic Church state numerous bureaucratic reasons for its refusal to leave the memorial go ahead — but they should be very honest in saying: the poppy bothers them at the top of the memorial as a British symbol.

And there may well be issues with those who died being all Protestant?

The poppy is not a British symbol or a Protestant symbol. But given that politics is perception and Northern Ireland’s sensitivities, it was probably not a good idea to have any symbol on the memorial whatsoever.

This has backfired badly on victims’ families who have witnessed their dead relatives being drawn into a ongoing dispute.

The victims families do not seem to be that concerned with the dispute and just want to see the names of their kin who should have had a much longer life; as an acknowledgement a caring community and society in holding value for people.

It is curious to note: that the memorial only contained the names of the dead and not the injured and maimed.

Thirteen of the 63 injured were children, some of kids were permanently injured.

Headmaster Ronnie Hill spent 13 years in a coma until he finally succumbed to his fate — a fate taken out of his hands and that of the other victims of Enniskillen.

The injured and maimed for life is something which Northern Ireland needs to get around to more often and not just the dead.

Everybody affected by the blast who was hurt physically at the site of the bomb was a victim to some extent or to a great extent — whether they passed on or not, and some of the injured and maimed were Catholics.

Let’s try it again with a different approach: A memorial to those who died and also listing the names of those who were injured and maimed?

This time blessed by both churches if possible.

Who knows? It might inspire the parties reach an agreement, given that it was events like the Enniskillen massacre which led us on the path to peace.

Maurice Fitzgerald, Shanbally, Co Cork