A girl with a 'kind heart', a loving dad and a mother that was the 'glue that held her family together'

THE seventh day of the Omagh Bombing Inquiry has now concluded after hearing tributes to Samantha McFarland, 17, Sean McGrath, 61 and Elizabeth Rush, 57.

Former Omagh High School pupil Samantha, had been doing voluntary work in the Oxfam charity shop in the town alongside best friend Lorraine Wilson, 15, when the bomb went off, claiming both young lives.

Samantha had been studying for her A-levels at Strabane College.

Paul Greaney KC, senior counsel to the inquiry, read a solicitor's statement on behalf of the family.

In it, Samantha was described as having a 'kind heart and genuine kindness'.

The youngest of three children, she had been due to be a bridesmaid at her older brother's wedding just one month after the bomb.

A 'popular and diligent' teenager, Samantha was a "private but sociable person who touched the lives of many others'.

Inquiry chairman, Lord Turnbull said her death was another example of "the senseless killing of children".

Tributes where then heard of Sean McGrath, who died in hospital three weeks later from the horrific injuries he sustained.

The 61-year-old retired businessman and married father-of-four was described in the McGrath family statement as a 'kind' man who 'doted on his family'.

A statement was read by a solicitor on behalf of Mr McGrath's daughter Noeleen.

She said her dad was "considerate, gentle and kind to a fault."

Always supportive of her, he encouraged her lifelong love of reading, and was very proud when she trained as a teacher at university.

"If my dad had a superpower, he would have been the protector," the statement read.

"He would have been horrified to know that we spent three weeks in a horrible limbo at the hospital wondering if he would pull through.

"He couldn't protect us from that hideous time."

His son Conor's statement, also read by the solicitor, told of how his father had fought for "three agonising weeks" before he passed away.

In the aftermath of the explosion, the family were told that Mr McGrath would be transferred to hospital in Belfast by helicopter.

"Apparently Sean was taken off the helicopter a couple of times because there were others in more need - we will never know if this delay would have made any difference," he said.

Initially, doctors told the family that Mr McGrath, who suffered leg and chest injuries and shrapnel wounds, was stable and they were confident he would survive.

Their hopes were soon 'shattered'.

Mr McGrath was put in an induced coma as the family kept a beside vigil in the weeks that followed before he passed away on September 5.

The final tributes were heard for Elizabeth Rush, 57, a mother-of-three and cafe owner, who died while serving customers.

Her daughter Siobhan, read a statement on behalf of her and her brothers Andrew and Anthony.

She said her mother “was widely known throughout the area for her discretion and gentle nature."

“This was a simple, quiet and peaceful normal family life of a woman, a mother and her family that was destroyed," she said.

After years of “silence, apathy and belligerent ignorance”, Siobhan said it is fair to say “we believe there has been a deliberate strategy to avoid responsibility by the state".

She said division does not exist in the real world, adding that “we exist in a secret world where politicians control the narrative”.

“How can we say anything when they say nothing?,” she said.

“Divisions are made by boundaries… we can not or are afraid to cross… we are compelled to cling to a broken system that has not served us well.”

Siobhan said it has been "difficult to grieve" and to "come to terms with the indignity of her untimely and violent death".

Commenting on her father Laurence's campaign for justice, she said he "relentlessly confronted all" and that the reason why was simple - he loved "his wife, the mother of his children and his soulmate".

She was the glue that held the family together, Siobhan added.

The inquiry will resume on Monday morning.