This week marks 25 years since the IRA detonated a bomb in the Co Tyrone town of Omagh killing 29 people - including a woman pregnant with twins - and injuring 220 others. Kevin Skelton lost his wife Philomena on August 15th, 1998 and his three young daughters were injured as they shopped for back to school clothes and books.
Speaking on this morning's Joe Finnegan Show, Kevin highlighted how hard is it to comprehend that 25 years have passed since that fateful day; to him it feels like yesterday. He said the commemoration in Omagh on Tuesday provided him with a lot of fulfilment because so many people came out to remember loved ones and members of the community who died that day.
Kevin pointed out that people in Omagh have not forgotten what happened and said it was vitally important now, for the Government in the south, to participate in the upcoming Independent Inquiry into the matter.
"The Irish Government has to take part in it. I was talking to [Deputy] Charlie Flanagan and I put that to him, and he said yes. I have heard these stories before but when it comes to it they don't do anything.
"And, we may only have a small window of opportunity to get the Irish Government on board because there is an election coming up in the south of Ireland and if Sinn Fein gets into power they won't be too anxious to help the families to find out the truth about these things," he added.
