Irish people should hold their heads in shame until some attempt has been made to purge the "satanic evil" behind the Omagh bombing, a memorial service for the victims held in St Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin yesterday was told.
But the Dean of St Patrick's, the Very Rev Maurice Stewart, said signs of hope were stirring in the hearts of the people of Omagh. "From the dust of Market Street, there grows the seed of hope that will blossom into a richer, fuller life for all its people," he predicted.
The President, Mrs McAleese, led a packed congregation that included leading political and church figures, civic representatives from Omagh and prominent members of the diplomatic corps.
At the end of the service, the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Mr Joe Doyle, presented a book of condolences containing 30,000 signatures to the chairman of Omagh District Council, Mr Sean Clarke. Mr Doyle said other books of condolences were being compiled and would be passed on to the people of Omagh.
Mrs McAleese read from the Gospel of St John. "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you . . ."
The prayers were led by Ms Michelle O'Brien, whose mother was killed in the Dublin bombings in 1974, when she was eight years old. Afterwards Ms O'Brien said the Omagh tragedy had brought back the horror of the Dublin bombs. "Nothing in the Northern troubles had ever hit me so strongly as Omagh. I have an 18-month-old daughter, the same age as Maura Monaghan, who died last week.
"My only advice to those who have lost a loved one is to take one day at a time. It does get easier, but you never forget," she said.
The lessons were read by Mr Alan Rainey, vice-chairman of Omagh District Council, and by Mr Jose Maria Sanz-Pastor, the Spanish ambassador.
In his address Dean Stewart spoke of his disappointment that such an atrocity could take place in the wake of the Belfast Agreement, which had undoubtedly been weakened by what had happened, he said.
"But, more than anger or disappointment, what Omagh brings home to me is a sense of shame. Last July, as a member of the Church of Ireland, I felt shame for my church at what was happening around the parish church in Drumcree."
But last Saturday was a day of shame for Ireland, "shame that such a heinous and utterly sinful deed should be perpetrated against anyone, let alone our own flesh and blood; shame that it should be plotted and planned not 100 miles from Dublin . . .
"We are all involved in this. We are all in some measure responsible, for this is our country. We should hang our heads in shame until some attempt has been made to expiate this stain and purge our land of such satanic evil."
Dean Stewart called on people to remember not only the dead, but also the victims, whose rights had been deprived and who were left with "maimed bodies and scarred minds".
The attendance included Capt Frank Walsh, representing the Taoiseach, the Chief Justice, Mr Justice Hamilton, and Mr Justice Morris, the President of the High Court. The Attorney General, Mr David Byrne, represented the Government. Mr Gay Mitchell represented the Fine Gael leader, Mr John Bruton. Mr Trevor Sargent represented the Green Party.
Also present were the British ambassador, Ms Veronica Sutherland, as well as 19 Dublin city councillors.
