Late priest who tended Omagh bomb victims remembered during memorial service

Father Kevin Mullan died earlier this year.

Fr Kevin Mullan reading a poem entitled A call to return (Niall Carson/PA) (PA Archive)

A Catholic priest who tended to victims of the Omagh bomb in the devastating aftermath of the blast was remembered during a service to mark the 25th anniversary.

Father Kevin Mullan, who died in May of this year, was on the scene providing comfort following the dissident republican bomb attack, and supported bereaved families in the years after.

At the 20th anniversary of the Omagh bomb in 2018, he challenged those responsible to come forward and “step out of the dark”.

Standing at the site of the bomb on Market Street, in a powerful address he urged: “Come you who 20 years ago did this to Omagh, please come back once more among us to this market place, which you tore up with your bomb, to this street and its shops where you left our relatives, friends and visitors broken, bleeding, dead.

“You were not afraid then. Come with your tears, and do not be afraid now.

“In your eyes we may read the apology of your heart. In our tears we may not know how to respond.

“We too must step out of the dark.”

He later told the PA news agency that his words came after two decades of reflection and processing the scenes of horror he had seen.

Speaking at a service to mark the 25th anniversary of the bomb at the memorial garden in Omagh, Michael Gallagher, whose son Aiden was among the 29 killed, paid tribute to Father Mullan.

He said he had helped “rebuild hearts and minds” of those affected by the bomb.

“We will always be indebted to him for the strength, compassion and courage he demonstrated on the day, and the months and years after,” he said.

“Kevin was a visionary that saw beyond green and orange. It didn’t matter to him if you worshipped in a church or chapel. His wisdom and influence filtered into the community as he worked tirelessly.

“We will remember him as a decent and honourable human being.”