FAMILIES bereaved in Dublin’s Stardust fire tragedy in 1981 have shown solidarity with Omagh bombing survivors at their Public Inquiry.
Travelling with the Dublin campaigners from the capital, I was told of their determination to support the Tyrone families.
Gertrude Barrett’s 17-year-old son Michael was among 48 killed in the notorious St Valentine’s Ball blaze on 14 February 1981. She said she “just had to come to Omagh”.
“We have so much in common with these families. We’re all kindred spirits,” she said.
Stardust campaigners Gertrude Barrett and Lorraine Sorohan (centre), pictured with family members of the Omagh bombing victims, Michael Gallagher (seconnd left) and Stanley McCombe“We are only too aware of Omagh,” she added.
“Once you are involved in campaigning like ours, you watch and follow what other fellow campaigners are doing too.
“We’re here to show solidarity. As survivors together we were all catapulted into public grief.”
Also present at the Omagh Bomb Inquiry was renowned human rights barrister Michael Mansfield KC.
Mr Mansfield is known as ‘the king of human rights work’ by Legal 500 and has represented the Guildford Four and Birmingham Six during their campaigns for justice.
The Stardust families recalled how the Omagh survivors contacted them last April following their meeting with then Taoiseach Simon Harris in the Dáil.
Tyrone victims offered congratulations to their campaigning counterparts who secured a State apology and compensation after the Dublin families achieved justice for their families for 43 years.
Lorraine Sorohan’s 16-year-old sister Teresa McDonnell was killed in the fire.
“Listening to the Omagh victims’ testimony today was gripping,” she said.
“It brought back to us the injustice of it all. We want you all to know we have each other’s backs. We have both walked the same walk when it comes to loss.”
Ms Sorohan spoke of the effect of hearing the pen-portrait testimony of the Omagh campaign’s figurehead Michael Gallagher who spoke of the loss of his 21-year-old son Aiden.
“I was struck by Michael’s dignity and the way he spoke, he never changed his tone,” she said.
“He was calm, getting his points across so well. He could speak to a stadium of 100,000 people and everyone would listen carefully.”
Gertrude Barrett lamented the isolation that families feel after atrocities such as Omagh and the Stardust nightclub fire.
“The testimonies reminded us that all of our families were left to our own devices,” she said.
“No government wanted to do anything for any of us. You couldn’t make it up.”
She added: “We just had to come to Omagh. Survivors need support.
“There’s too much injustice around. And the authorities are going to have to be made to listen. “
Departing Tyrone for Dublin, Ms Barrett said, “My message to the families is – don’t give up until you get what you need, because we won’t.
“We lift each other up. Being in Omagh this week has helped to encourage us on our journey too.”