James Barker (12)
James was an “outgoing, caring and a very fun-loving child” who “always had a positive and happy demeanour” and was looking forward to starting a new school that September, his father said.
He loved sport, including golf, caddying for his father, and playing football with Spanish exchange student, Fernando Blasco Baselga. James said he “wanted to become a lawyer when he grew up so he could take over my firm and give me a rest”.
Fernando Blasco Baselga (12)
Fernando had lots of friends – at school, in his neighbourhood in Madrid, Spain, and in his mountaineering group.
One of seven siblings, his family described him as a “good, happy and generous child” who got along well with everyone.
He liked handball and played on his school team, and loved to eat, especially his favourite rice salad.
When asked in his catechism group what was important to him, he replied: “To reach heaven.”
Geraldine Breslin (43)
Geraldine was “naturally a smiley, happy, bubbly person”, her son said, with “a laugh that made you want to be in her presence”.
She had a close bond with her only son, who she brought up as a single parent. She worked in the ladies’ department in Watterson’s in Omagh town centre, a job she loved.
She married her husband in 1995, and they were “totally in love with each other, devoted to one another”.
Debra-Ann Cartwright (20)
Debra-Ann was from Birchwood in Omagh and a former pupil of Omagh High School, where she was involved in cross-community work and visited Denmark on a student exchange.
She was working in a beauty salon in the town centre and was awaiting her A-level results to see if she had achieved the grades to study textile design in Manchester.
Her results, which arrived on the day of her funeral, confirmed she had been successful.
Gareth Conway (18)
Gareth was “a diligent, conscientious and humble young man” who left a “legacy of love, hard work and quiet strength”, his sister said.
He loved dogs and woodwork – he built a replica of the village chapel out of clothes pegs – and played soccer and Gaelic football.
He had recently been accepted to study engineering at university, and was “very happy and looking forward to the next stage in his life”.
Breda Devine (20 months)
Breda was born three months prematurely but “clung to life” and grew into a healthy little girl.
One of four siblings from Donemana, Co Tyrone, she was due to be a flower girl at her uncle’s wedding.
She was “a special child who struggled bravely against all the odds”, the parish priest told mourners at her funeral.
Oran Doherty (8)
Oran, the fifth child of seven from Buncrana, Co Donegal, was “a great, funny wee boy” who was “full of life”, his mother said. “He was fun-loving, happy-go-lucky and he loved football.
“He also loved to go fishing with his daddy, his older brother and his friends.
“He had written one time that when he grew up he wanted to play for Celtic [FC] or be a shopkeeper.”
Aiden Gallagher (21)
Aiden was, from a young age, interested in “anything mechanical … he used to take apart his toys and rebuild them”, his father said.
He had a strong work ethic, becoming involved in the family repair business in Omagh, and was at college studying car body repair.
His sharp wit and sense of humour meant he made friends easily; he hated bullying or inequality, and often stood up for the most vulnerable.
Esther Gibson (36)
Esther was engaged to be married and was “looking forward to a future filled with hope and happiness”.
The eldest of five sisters, she grew up on the family farm in Beragh, Co Tyrone, where she learned a “strong sense of duty and compassion that would characterise her life”, her family said.
A Sunday school teacher, she belonged to Sixmilecross Free Presbyterian Church and found “joy and purpose” in her Christian faith.
Mary Grimes (66)
Mary grew up on a farm in Co Cork before training to be a nurse and then a midwife.
A mother of 11, she had “a strong Catholic faith, a strong work ethic and a deep sense of family values”, her family said.
“No one was ever turned away from her door in Deroar [in Beragh, Co Tyrone], and no one left without a cup of tea or some of her beautiful currant bread or apple tart.”
Olive Hawkes (60)
Olive was “very much a hands-on farmer’s wife” who “also loved her style, and therefore shopping trips to Omagh were a regular occurrence”, her daughter said.
The treasurer of Mayne Methodist Church for more than 25 years, she was also an active member of the Women’s Institute, a great baker and loved gardening.
“There was always laughter in our home,” her daughter said. “She was the glue that made our family so close.”
Julia Hughes (21)
Julia was her twin brother Justin’s “biggest ally in life, and I was hers”.
Born four minutes apart, they spent their schooling “exchanging homework … I did one subject, Julia the other.”
“Julia was small, but a fire burned in her heart. She was feisty when she needed to be,” especially when playing goalie for her school hockey team.
She was studying accountancy at Dundee; each year, the university awards a prize in her memory.
Brenda Logue (17)
Brenda was a “sweet-natured girl” who was “her own person”, her family said, so much so that she successfully persuaded her school to allow girls to wear trousers as part of their uniform.
She was a leader in her local youth club and hoped to become a PE teacher.
Brenda was a talented Gaelic footballer who played for Tyrone at senior level, and a number of trophies are still awarded in her memory.
Jolene Marlow (17)
Jolene was “a special child” from the moment she was born, her mother said, and was looking forward to a bright future.
Academically successful and a keen Gaelic footballer and camogie player, she represented both her school and her parish, helping St Macartan’s to win their first ever county final.
“With her desire to become a sports physiotherapist, she had a zest for life and to do well.”
Ann McCombe (48)
Ann and her husband Stanley celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary in 1998. “Ann was a wonderful and very caring person and I suppose that is why I fell in love with her,” he said.
She worked in Watterson’s clothes shop in the centre of Omagh and was “a very good Christian and loved her church”.
“She was the kindest-hearted person that I have ever known, and she cared for everybody.”
Brian McCrory (54)
Brian was his family’s “gentle giant”.
He worked in the family business, driving his beloved crane, nicknamed “Crafty Catherine”, and “loved taking photographs”, so much so that he became the designated photographer at family events.
Described as hard-working, with a strong faith, and dedicated to his family, he had “a beautiful, warm, open smile that made you feel comfortable and safe”, his daughter said.
Samantha McFarland (17)
Samantha was the youngest of three children from Hospital Road, Omagh, and was studying for her A-levels at Strabane College.
She was learning to drive, loved music and books and her pet pony. She enjoyed geography and was curious about the world.
She volunteered as a shop assistant in Oxfam in Omagh on Saturdays along with her best friend Lorraine Wilson and had “a genuine kindness that people were drawn to”, her family said.
Sean McGrath (61)
Sean was “considerate, gentle, kind to a fault and completely supportive”, his daughter said. He treasured his family, and the only thing that made him cross was injustice.
He grew up above the family grocer’s shop on Market Street in Omagh, and as a boy loved going to see Westerns in the nearby cinema.
He loved making deals, and even convincing Harrods to sell a selection of traditional Irish breads made in his bakery business.
Shaun McLaughlin (12)
Shaun weighed only 5½lb when he was born and almost did not survive, but made a full recovery and grew into a strong and healthy boy.
He “liked playing football with his friends and cycling and doing things that young boys do”, his mother said, and played football for his local club.
“Shaun was a lively, lovely boy, he was always happy and content, he always found something to smile about.”
Alan Radford (16)
Alan was “a ray of sunshine” with “the purest heart, heart of gold” and was “so loving, so compassionate” with everybody, his sister said.
He helped his mother with the grocery shopping in Omagh every week, took her to see the film Titanic, and even helped his neighbours cut their lawns despite an allergy to grass.
His GCSE results arrived days after his death and he had been due to go to catering college.
Rocio Abad Ramos (23)
Rocio was an extrovert who was always laughing and smiling, and was “felt as somebody special” by her family.
One of three sisters from Madrid, Spain, she excelled at sport – at 18, she was the Spanish long-jump champion – and in her studies; she won a scholarship to university and wanted to become a teacher.
She had visited Buncrana, Co Donegal, on five consecutive summers to learn English. She loved Ireland and its culture.
Elizabeth (Libby) Rush (57)
Libby had a business on Market Street in Omagh which was first a coffee shop, then sold furniture and gifts, including cushions and soft furnishings she made herself.
Compassionate and respectful, she was well known as a “good listener”, her daughter said. She and her husband Laurence met at a dance when they were 14. “Private and humble, Libby was, and still is, the moral compass we set our own lives by.”
Veda Short (56)
Veda “loved and adored” her four children and eight grandchildren, and visiting “Nanny’s house” was a ritual every Sunday.
She was active in her church and was a member of the Women’s Institute, and she and her husband loved playing bowls in the church hall.
A manager at Watterson’s clothes shop on Market Street in Omagh, she took her lunch late every day so her staff could have theirs first.
Philomena (Mena) Skelton (39)
Mena’s life was dedicated to two things: knitting and family, her husband said. She loved Catherine Cookson books, and could knit at the same time without dropping a stitch; she knitted Aran jumpers for Magee’s in Donegal town, which were subsequently sold to America.
The year before the bombing, the mother of three daughters and a son began the family tradition of inviting a child from Romania to stay with them each summer.
Bryan White (27)
Bryan was “the type of person, no matter of his own personal views and values, he never judged anyone”, his sister said.
He had a job in Strabane that involved working with people with disabilities, and “from this job he really learned to see the strengths in people rather than their weaknesses”.
“He had just been promoted and was due to start a new job in Omagh the week of the bomb.”
Fred White (65)
Fred was “somebody who always had time for people, never mind how busy he was, and he was usually very busy”, his daughter said.
He worked in the accounts department of the Western Education Board, but retired in 1989 following a brain haemorrhage, and spent his time working in the house and garden. He enjoyed gardening and woodwork – and in various community organisations.
“Fred was my rock and I loved him dearly,” his wife said.
Lorraine Wilson (15)
Lorraine was “an easy-going person who genuinely loved life, and she always put other people first”, her family said.
She loved cooking, even making the family dinner after school, and while she was “a real home bird”, she also “always wanted to travel, and talked about being an air stewardess or chef and travelling the world”.
“She was always thinking of what she wanted to do and what she hoped to achieve in life.”
Avril Monaghan (30)
Avril was the “proud mother” of four children, with two more on the way.
At their home in Augher, Co Tyrone, she created a “warm and nurturing environment” for her growing family, as well as working as an accounts clerk at a business in Omagh.
She “approached life with a can-do attitude”, her daughter said. “No matter what the challenge, she faced it, and was never one to dwell on the negatives.”
Maura Monaghan (20 months)
Maura had “a joyful nature” and “charmed everyone with her lively energy, always clapping her hands and flashing a smile”, her sister said.
“Her bubbly personality and unmistakable head of curly hair made her stand out … and she lit up every room she entered”, so it was no surprise when she took first prize in a Bonny Baby competition. She was “a source of light and joy to our family and everyone around her”.
Eimear and Evelyn Monaghan
Avril Monaghan’s unborn babies were due in October 1998.
A picture of the twins taken during an ultrasound scan was shown to the Omagh Bombing Inquiry, and their sister said: “They would be named Eimear and Evelyn, two little girls who our family were extremely excited to meet. The pictures of the scan are the reminder of the many futures that never became a reality following the bomb on August 15th, 1998.”
