Throughout the morning they came to the Memorial Garden with wreaths and bouquets of flowers to remember the dead. One woman brought yellow roses. "I wanted something bright, not gloomy. It feels right because there were so many children and young people who died," she said.
Omagh came to a standstill yesterday afternoon to mark the fourth anniversary of the "Real IRA" bomb which killed 29 men, women and children. Shops and businesses closed at lunch time for the short, inter-denominational service.
All the political parties were represented but it wasn't a day for the politicians. The service began with a minute's silence and then the names of the victims were read out. The list took just 90 seconds to complete.
Kevin Skelton's wife Philomena (49) was buying her children's school uniforms when she was killed. "August 15th is always hanging over my head," he said.
"The date meant nothing to me until the bomb but now it's a day I dread. I have to face up to it but four years down the line it's still very painful."
Stanley McCombe whose wife Anne (49) was killed as she worked in Watterson's clothes shop said the families felt totally let down by the authorities. They were angry they had to resort to civil action against the alleged Omagh bomb suspects, he said.
Michael Gallagher, whose son Adrian (21) was killed as he bought new boots and a pair of jeans, said the service was vital to the families. "The measure of a community is how it remembers its dead. It's very important that we have come to pray together and hopefully move on together," he said.
Mr Gallagher's wife, Patsy, said the families were upset that the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, had not replied to their invitation to him to attend the service. "We wrote to him on 27th July and we still haven't heard from him. Even if he wasn't coming, there should have been an acknowledgement to our letter.
"We need his help in our search for answers. We need him to assure us everything is being done to bring those responsible to justice. We are turning to Tony Blair as our last resort. This country is over-crowded with politicians but nobody has been able to help us."
Mrs Gallagher said her family were still deeply distressed by their loss. "The girls cry a lot. I try to be brave for them but inside I'm bursting. Yet you have to keep going for the young ones. Today is the worst day of the year for us."
Senior police officers involved in the Omagh bomb investigation attended the service as did the North's Minister for Victims, Mr Des Browne.
Three schoolchildren from Buncrana, Co Donegal, were killed in the bomb. A Spanish schoolboy and language teacher also died. Representatives from Buncrana and Madrid were present at the commemoration. A statement speaking of the relatives deep desire that the "scales of justice be reset" was read out.