Shoppers try to act normally in streets of Omagh

THE ANONYMOUS message attached to the flowers outside the green- painted shop-front summed up the feelings of so many. It said simply: "Things will never be the same."

The flowers, piled up with hundreds of others outside Watterson's drapers in Omagh, had been left in memory of three members of staff from the shop who died 10 days ago. Geraldine Breslin, 43, Veda Short, 56, and Ann McCombe, 49, were all killed after being evacuated from the shop in the centre of the High Street.

Yesterday morning Watterson's was one of many shops in Omagh that reopened their doors for the first time since the bomb blast, which killed 28 and injured 220.

"We have had busloads of people coming in here to sympathise and to talk about what happened," said Neville Hagan, 30, one of the members of staff. "There have been lots of hugs and people have been great. They are still coming and placing flowers - it's amazing to see the grief shared by so many people."

Mr Hagan had been in work when the bomb exploded, killing his colleagues, and he realised that returning to work would be difficult. But he said most people felt that life, somehow, had to go on - a view shared by the town's Chamber of Commerce, which had urged retailers to reopen yesterday.

He added: "It won't be easy but having the support of all these people will help."

In a show of that support, hundreds of people went into Omagh yesterday morning, milling around in sombre mood. The conversations - quite predictably - were about one topic only, but many believe it essential Omagh struggles to find some sense of normality.

Roy Allen, chairman of the Omagh Chamber of Commerce said: "The main problem is obviously guilt. We feel that maybe we shouldn't be open, but at the same time the general idea round the town is that everybody wants us to be open.

"We're there to give a service to our customers and that service we will continue to give, second to none."

Mr Allen yesterday met Arthur Sandford, the chief executive of Manchester City Council, to share his experiences of restoring Manchester after an IRA bomb explosion. Members of the Chamber of Commerce from Portadown, Co Armagh, and Banbridge, Co Down - a target of Real IRA bomb explosions earlier this year - were also present at the meeting with council officials to offer support.

Mr Sandford said after the meeting: "I put some practical suggestions that may not have come from elsewhere as to how businesses can be helped, how you need to republicise your town, businesses that are still there and businesses that have relocated and reopened in the future."

That process will take a long time. Many of the premises in the High Street - part of which is still sealed off to the public with a high corrugated metal fence - were severely damaged. But by killing and injuring so many innocent people from a town largely untouched by the Troubles, the 500lb home-made bomb also robbed Omagh of its self-confidence. Repairing those shattered business premises will be the easiest part.

There were more VIP visits to the town. The Defence Secretary, George Robertson, paid a private visit and laid flowers and said he had heard tales of great tragedy and bravery during his visit.

The outgoing US Ambassador to Ireland, Jean Kennedy-Smith, travelled from Dublin to the Omagh council office to sign the book of condolence.

She said she believed the Omagh bomb would be the last atrocity in Ireland because of the reaction to it. She said President Bill Clinton remained "very concerned" about the people of Omagh and people throughout the world had expressed their sympathy. "I hope the people have felt themselves the tremendous concern there is," she added.